Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Kapil Dev
Former Indian footballer Kapil Dev has chosen not to comment on the growing hype surrounding teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi, saying others who follow the game closely are in a “better” position to judge the youngster’s performance.Just 15 years old, Sooryavanshi has become one of the biggest stories of IPL 2026 with his courageous batting for Rajasthan Royals. The left-handed opener has scored 404 runs in 10 matches this season, including a stunning century and fifty, while dismantling some of the best bowlers in the world. His performance even sparked discussions about India possibly being called up for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England later this year.The youngster’s rapid rise was a major point of discussion during an event attended by Kapil Dev, but the 1983 World Cup-winning captain avoided offering a detailed assessment of the teenager.
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“I don’t know because I haven’t seen it. I’m like you people. Whatever you show on TV, I see it, and I try to understand it. I watch cricket at home on TV and then making a judgment is not right,” Kapil Dev told reporters on Sunday.
Instead, the legendary all-rounder suggested that commentators and former players who follow the game closely would be more qualified to talk about Sooryavanshi’s development.“People who talk and see everyone are better. Like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri or Harsha Bhogle, they can understand more logically than me,” he added.Despite Kapil Dev’s reluctance to comment, Sooryavanshi’s performance continues to attract widespread praise across the cricket world. The teenager has shown remarkable confidence against elite bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins this season.
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season.His 36-ball century against Sunrisers Hyderabad became the second fastest Indian hundred in IPL history. Ahead of IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi had already made headlines with his exploits in youth cricket, including a 175 off 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final against England.His form has also played a key role in Rajasthan Royals’ strong campaign, with the franchise currently sitting fourth in the points table.
