South African batting legend AB de Villiers has lauded the talent of young cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi but expressed uncertainty about whether the 15-year-old will choose to pursue red-ball cricket in the future. Speaking at an event in Mumbai on Sunday, de Villiers acknowledged Sooryavanshi's skill to succeed in Test cricket while questioning the teenager's inclination towards the longer format.
De Villiers on Sooryavanshi's Red-Ball Prospects
"Yeah, he's a wonderful talent. The red-ball thing I absolutely cannot answer. I think he can if he wants to, but there's your answer, and there's the big question as well is does he really want to? Time will tell. There's no doubt he's got the talent and the ability to do so. It won't always be easy, and I've mentioned that a few times before," de Villiers said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
The former South Africa captain emphasized that challenges await if Sooryavanshi opts for the longer format but backed his capability to overcome them. "If he decides to play red-ball cricket, there will be some challenges, but he's got the skill and the ability to work through that and in my opinion, I hope he does try and play Test cricket, but I doubt it. We'll see in future."
Support for Selection in T20I Squad
De Villiers also endorsed the selectors' decision to include Sooryavanshi in India's T20I squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games. On Saturday, the BCCI named Sooryavanshi in all three squads, making him the youngest player ever selected for the Indian side at age 15. He broke a 36-year-old record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international debut against Pakistan in 1989 at age 16.
Calling the move the correct one, de Villiers said the teenager had earned his place. "It's definitely the right call from the selectors. So well done to them for making the brave decision. It would have been easy to say that he's still too young and he's not ready, and go for more experience. He's broken down that door, and he deserves his place in the Indian T20 team, so I'm happy for him," he said.
Record-Breaking IPL Season
Sooryavanshi earned the call-up after a record-breaking IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals. The Bihar batter finished as the tournament's highest run-scorer with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30. He also hit a record 72 sixes during the season and collected multiple post-season awards, including Most Valuable Player (MVP), Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker, Orange Cap, and Super Sixes of the Season.
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