Jos Buttler's Stunning Verdict on Teen Sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
In a remarkable testament to raw talent, England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler has declared 14-year-old Indian batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as "the best player I have ever seen" in the sport. This extraordinary praise follows Sooryavanshi's breathtaking, match-winning innings of 175 runs from just 80 balls against England in the final of the 2026 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
A Record-Breaking Knock for the Ages
Sooryavanshi's monumental 175, which included a staggering 15 sixes and 14 fours, is now the highest individual score ever recorded in a final or knockout match in Youth ODI history. His fearless assault powered India to yet another U19 World Cup title, leaving the cricketing world in awe of his precocious ability.
Buttler, speaking on the For The Love Of Cricket podcast alongside England teammate Mark Wood, expressed sheer disbelief at the teenager's capabilities. "My statement about Sooryavanshi is: he's the best player I've ever seen. If he's doing that at 14, what's he going to be doing at 16, 18, or 20?" Buttler questioned, highlighting the terrifying potential of the young star.
Buttler's First-Hand Experience of Sooryavanshi's Brilliance
The England skipper had a front-row seat to Sooryavanshi's talent during the previous Indian Premier League season, where the teenager represented the Rajasthan Royals. "I played in the game where he got 100 in the IPL. Even as a 14-year-old at that point, playing against an attack of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Rashid Khan—proper bowling attacks—I was in awe of these shots," Buttler recounted.
He elaborated on the qualities that set Sooryavanshi apart: "The bat flow, the distance he's hitting the ball, that fearlessness... I was watching it on TV thinking these are not just any old shots; they're some of the best shots you've ever seen."
Mark Wood's Awestruck Reaction and Empathy for England U19s
Fellow podcast guest Mark Wood was equally stunned, drawing a humorous contrast with his own childhood. "I think of what I was doing at 14 and I think of what he's doing at 14. I mean, unbelievable. The closest I got to anything at that stage was the pressure of a snowball fight on the schoolyard," Wood chuckled.
Wood also expressed sympathy for the England U19 team, which entered the final unbeaten only to be dismantled by Sooryavanshi's onslaught. "Watching that game, sometimes they didn't do a lot wrong. It was almost like we shifted a field and then he'd hit it in that gap... It's just he played so well," he added.
Proven Performer Beyond Age-Group Cricket
What makes Sooryavanshi's rise even more compelling is his proven track record in senior cricket. In his debut IPL season, he played seven matches, scoring a century against Buttler's Gujarat Titans and a composed 57 against the Chennai Super Kings, facing world-class bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja with remarkable ease.
When Wood asked if Sooryavanshi could become an "absolute superstar" or risk being derailed by pressure, Buttler's response was unequivocal: "Don't see how he can't be (an absolute superstar). To be playing the way he can at 14 years old... He hit his first ball in the IPL for six... I can't imagine what can derail that sort of a player."
This resounding endorsement from one of the game's modern greats underscores a seismic moment in cricket. A 14-year-old has not just broken records; he has rewritten expectations, with Jos Buttler's words cementing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's status as a once-in-a-generation talent poised to dominate the sport for years to come.
