AB de Villiers has issued a measured but cautionary message on the rapid rise of Rajasthan Royals teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, suggesting that while the 15-year-old’s white-ball explosiveness is extraordinary, his long-term development will depend on how he adapts to the demands of multi-format cricket.Speaking on the ‘For The Love of Cricket’ podcast hosted by former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, the former South Africa star reflected on the youngster’s potential and the challenges that may lie ahead if he moves beyond T20 cricket too early.
Sooryavanshi has taken the IPL by storm this season, scoring 440 runs in 11 innings at an average of 40.00 and a striking strike rate of 236.55. His impact has been underlined by a century and two half-centuries, with fearless hitting against elite bowling attacks featuring the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar drawing widespread attention and even calls for an India T20I promotion.However, de Villiers urged caution, pointing out that the teenager’s red-ball foundation is still in its early stages. In first-class cricket, Sooryavanshi has managed 207 runs in eight matches and 12 innings at an average of 17.25, with a single half-century.“I do not know how he is going to last, to be honest. At his age, the talent is incredible. But I would like to see him in other formats. In Test cricket, he doesn’t yet know what he is in for. A lot of things will change unless someone, who is a really good manager, tells him to be a T20 specialist for the rest of his life. If that’s all he plays, it’ll be a very long and successful career,” he said.De Villiers believes exposure to ODIs and especially Test cricket would help the youngster uncover new layers of his game, both mentally and physically, even if the journey is not straightforward.“If he does start nibbling around with ODIs and, in particular, Test cricket, he will discover a whole different area of his cricket mentally and physically. He definitely has the talent to overcome all the obstacles that may come his way. But it will not be an easy ride, and it will be a rocky road. I hope he goes that route and tries to play Test cricket for his country,” he said.The teenager’s numbers at junior and franchise level underline why he is being seen as a generational batting talent. In the recent U19 World Cup, Sooryavanshi finished as the second-highest run-scorer with 439 runs in seven matches at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 169.49, including a century and three fifties, with a highest score of 175. He also struck 30 sixes in the tournament, breaking Dewald Brevis’ previous record of 18 sixes in the 2022 edition, the most ever in U19 World Cup history.
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Across his U19 ODI career, he has accumulated 1,412 runs in 25 innings at an average of 56.48, with a strike rate above 165, including four centuries and seven fifties, with a best of 175.In T20 cricket overall, the 15-year-old has scored 1,105 runs in 28 matches at an average of 40.92 and a staggering strike rate of 215.39, including four centuries and three fifties, with a top score of 144. In List A cricket, he has 353 runs from eight innings at 44.12, striking at 164.95, with one century and one fifty, and a best of 190.As debate grows over whether Sooryavanshi should be fast-tracked into India’s T20I setup, de Villiers’ message is clear: the talent is undeniable, but the real test will come if and when he steps into the longer and more demanding formats of the game.
