India's teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has taken the cricketing world by storm over the last two years with his extraordinary exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The youngster first grabbed global attention during the 2025 IPL season when, at just 14 years of age, he smashed the second-fastest century in tournament history against Gujarat Titans (GT), reaching the milestone in just 35 balls. The breathtaking knock left cricket fans stunned as the teenager dismantled some of the world's most experienced bowlers with remarkable ease.
If that campaign announced his arrival, the 2026 season firmly established him as one of the brightest young stars in world cricket. Sooryavanshi amassed 776 runs to claim the Orange Cap while maintaining a staggering strike rate of 237.31. He also rewrote the record books by smashing 72 sixes in a single IPL season, comfortably surpassing the previous record of 59 held by the legend Chris Gayle.
Despite his sensational performances, the wait for his India debut continues. Sooryavanshi did not feature during India's recently concluded T20I series against Ireland and was also left out of the playing XI for the opening T20I against England.
Amid growing calls for his inclusion in the senior national side, India's first World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, shared his thoughts in an exclusive interaction with SportsTak, offering his assessment of the youngster's talent and readiness for international cricket.
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Kapil Dev likens Sooryavanshi with Sachin and Kohli
While acknowledging Sooryavanshi's immense potential, Kapil Dev believes the youngster has already shown enough to establish himself as a T20 specialist. However, the legendary all-rounder also pointed out that success in the longest format presents an entirely different challenge.
"He has tremendous talent, and there's absolutely no doubt about that. But don't make him so big at such a young age. Give him time. He is as good as Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli, but only in T20 cricket. In Test cricket, he will have to prove himself by showing whether he can stand at the crease and see off five maiden overs. Virender Sehwag won't think that way but these are the kind of things you have to think about in cricket. As far as T20 cricket is concerned, he is a specialist and completely ready."
Kapil Dev backs Sooryavanshi's India debut on merit
The former India captain also weighed in on the debate surrounding Sooryavanshi's long-awaited international debut, insisting that selection should be based solely on ability rather than age.
"I think if he's ready, he should be given his debut not because of his age, but because of his ability. Only about one percent of people in the world are capable of making such a huge impact at such a young age. This is the new generation of players, and perhaps they possess a very high level of confidence."
With India continuing to assess their options ahead of the remainder of the England T20I series, Sooryavanshi's debut remains one of the biggest talking points. Following his record-breaking IPL campaign, expectations surrounding the teenager have reached unprecedented levels, and Kapil Dev's endorsement will only add further weight to the growing calls for his inclusion in the senior side.