New Delhi: Superstar Virat Kohli’s coach Rajkumar Sharma has hailed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the rarest of the rare talent in the T20 format and urged him not to change a thing about his game.
The 15-year-old had a staggering second season in the IPL, ending as the leading run-getter with 776 runs. Calls for a maiden India call-up have grown since his couple of appearances in the 90s in the play-offs for Rajasthan Royals.
“Well, he is an exceptional talent undoubtedly. I mean, the way he has played in this IPL is remarkable. The way he has hit all the first-class, international and world-class bowlers, that is commendable, and I must say that he is a special talent. I really find Vaibhav very good.
VIDEO | Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma on teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, calling the 15-year-old a special talent. "Well, he (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) is an exceptional talent undoubtedly. I mean, the way he has played in this IPL is remarkable. The way he… pic.twitter.com/5Gsn1P0I0Y— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 3, 2026
“The type of fearless cricket he plays and the way he has hit world-class bowlers is commendable. The way he has hit those sixes is just unbelievable. For T20 cricket, he is just brilliant,” Sharma told PTI on Wednesday.
When asked what advice he would like to give him as a coach, Sharma said: “Since he is playing T20, I would say don’t change anything. Just go and play like this, the way you are playing.
“You are playing tremendous cricket, and the way you are hitting, keep on hitting the ball and entertaining the people. When it comes to playing Test cricket, I haven’t seen enough of him to judge how mature he is, how he can change his game, how he can leave the ball outside the off stump or how he can play swing bowling. But for now, I want him to continue the way he is playing.”
When asked to draw an analogy between his ward Kohli at 15 and Sooryavanshi, he said: “I don’t believe in comparing people. What Virat has done in the last 18 years, I mean, it’s a very long period that he has been so consistent.
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“But looking at Vaibhav, he looks very good, a very talented guy, and he has got a good temperament also, which he showed in the last game. So, I mean, he is a brilliant talent, but we have just seen him playing in this format only. We are yet to see him play in bigger formats, maybe Test cricket or One-Day cricket.”
“Virat is a different player (from Sooryavanshi). He is a legend now. He is a great player, as he has proved by winning so many matches. No Indian has won as many matches for India as Virat has, and that is why he is loved so much. Here we see a rising star (Sooryavanshi), and we really love to see him grow.”
On Sooryavanshi’s fitness, he added: “No, fitness will come. He is still a baby, and he has a superpower. That is the brilliant thing about him.”
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