Kumar Sangakkara affirmed that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is ready for whatever challenge that is thrown at him and that he will get the national team call-up very soon
Published: May 30, 2026, 3:49 PM IST
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Rajasthan Royals’ head coach Kumar Sangakkara before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might have taken the cricketing world by a storm with his incredible range hitting ability but is he ready to make his debut for the senior national team? This subject has become a topic of wide discussion for quite some time now. Many are of the view that Sooryavanshi is still not ready for International cricket but Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara thinks otherwise.
Rajasthan’s 2026 Indian Premier League season concluded yesterday with a 7-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh. In what was a difficult night out for the RR batters, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi led from the front with yet another tremendous half-century.
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His knock, combined with the contributions from Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreria, helped the Royals post 214 on the board, a target that was easily chased down by Gujarat. Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill laid the foundation with their 1st wicket partnership of 167 runs before Jos Buttler and Rahul Tewatia guided GT to a 7-wicket win and setup a meeting with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the finale.
The major talking point, after the match, was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s sensational IPL 2026 run which saw him smash multiple records. Although he missed out on scoring back-to-back centuries in the playoffs, Sooryavanshi still had a remarkable year – the best ever by an uncapped batter. He is leading the Orange Cap (most runs) race with 776 runs, which he scored in 16 matches at a daunting strike rate of 237.
That leads us to the question – is Vaibhav ready to play for India? His RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara believes yes.
While speaking at the post-match press conference, Kumar Sangakkara affirmed that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is ready for whatever challenge that is thrown at him and that he will get the national team call-up very soon. The former Sri Lanka captain also praised the teenager for his “mature” contribution this season.
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“I think you never know if anyone’s ready until they play. With everything Vaibhav’s shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he’s more than ready to take on any challenge that you throw at him. And I’m sure that he’ll get that call-up very, very soon. He’s batted with a lot of maturity. He shouldered the responsibility of that opening partnership so well for us this season.” – Kumar Sangakkara said in the post-match press conference.
When and where to watch the IPL 2026 final?
The IPL 2026 finale on Sunday, May 31 between reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from 7:30PM (IST) onwards.
