After facing a heartbreaking defeat against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the qualifier 2 clash, Rajasthan Royals' (RR) campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 came to an end. However, RR's teen steensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's extraordinary season won't be forgotten by the fans, as the youngster played some unbelievable knocks for the Riyan Parag-led side.
Dale Steyn requests Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to play Test cricket
In the Qualifier 2 loss against GT, Sooryavanshi displayed a different variation in his game with his 96 runs off just 47 balls. He proved to everyone that he can play with responsibility as well in the crunch situations. Now, with each passing day, calls for his senior India debut are becoming stronger.
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However, fans and some experts still consider Vaibhav as a white-ball specialist because of his aggressive intent and technique which suits the demands of the modern T20 game. But, former South African pacer Dale Steyn has said that Test cricket can reach new heights if Vaibhav declares he wants to play red ball for India.
"There’s no bigger advertisement for Test cricket than if Sooryavanshi tells the world his dream is to play red ball for India," Steyn wrote on X.
At last, Dale Steyn wrote that many people like him hope Vaibhav will become the new ambassador for Test cricket in the coming future.
“Our hopes sit with you, young sir," added Steyen.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's stellar IPL 2026 campaign
The young RR opener finished the IPL 2026 season on a high note, as he gathered 776 runs in just 16 games at an average of 48.50 with a staggering strike rate of 237.31. Vaibhav smashed five fifties and one century, with 103 off 37 being his highest score which came against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
In the campaign, he broke Chris Gayle's long-standing record of most sixes (59 sixes in 2012) in a single season by smashing 72 maximums in IPL 2026.