Shubman Gill and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (PTI Image)
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has given perhaps the biggest endorsement yet of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s exceptional IPL 2026 season, describing the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals pacer as “one of the best batsmen in the world” in the T20 format.Gill’s praise came on the eve of the Indian Premier League final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, less than 24 hours after the players impressed in a thrilling second qualifier. While Gill’s stunning 104 guided Gujarat to a seven-wicket win and a place in the final, it was Sooryavanshi’s stunning 96 that once again caught the attention.
The teenager walked away from the tournament with 776 runs, including six scores of fifty or more, a strike rate of 237.30 and an impressive 72 sixes.
He also produced back-to-back spin-offs, following a 29-ball 97 at the remover with a 47-ball 96 against Gujarat.Reflecting on Sooryavanshi’s brilliant campaign, Gill admitted that he had rarely seen a batsman dominate attacks in this way.“The kind of season he had was amazing. I’ve never seen anyone hit like that.”The Gujarat skipper then made a bold assessment of the teenager’s standing in the shortest format.
“I think in that way he is probably currently one of the best batsmen in the world.”Gill believes Sooryavanshi’s success is driven by much more than his ability to step beyond the ropes. According to him, the young man’s unique biomechanics and exceptional bat speed set him apart from most players.“It’s not just about hitting those boundaries, it’s also about his biomechanics and his hand speed no matter what opponent he’s playing against.”Sooryavanshi once again showed those qualities in Qualifier 2. After hitting the Gujarat pace attack early and preventing them from getting off to a blistering start, the teenager rebuilt the innings and kept Rajasthan in the contention with another brave display.
Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the best T20 batsman currently?
Gill said the ability to adapt and respond under pressure stood out as much as the running itself.“Today he didn’t fly out, but still the way he was able to get back into the game put us under pressure, so that just tells you the mentality he has.”The left-hander eventually fell to 96 after following up his 97 in the remover, narrowly missing out on centuries in successive play-offs. However, his innings helped Rajasthan recover to 214/6 after an uncertain start.Gill believes that the challenges posed by Sooryavanshi will increase for bowlers in the coming years.“I think in the coming years, the opponent he plays against will have a difficult time against him.”Sooryavanshi’s incredible campaign has drawn praise from across the cricketing world, and Gill’s comments add another glowing endorsement to a season that has rewritten expectations of what a 15-year-old can achieve at the highest level of franchise cricket.