India T20I Squad: Michael Vaughan hails Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as 'best in the world' after maiden call-up for Ireland & England tour

India T20I Squad: Michael Vaughan hails Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as ‘best in the world’ after maiden call-up for Ireland & England tour originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, earns first India T20 call-up for England and Ireland tour.
• He scored 776 IPL runs at a strike rate of 237.30, breaking Chris Gayle’s six record.
• Michael Vaughan calls him the best T20 player in the world right now.

INDIA SQUADS:Afghanistan Test and ODI series 2026 | Ireland tour 2026 | England tour 2026 | Asian Games 2026

Vaughan lavishes praise on Sooryavanshi after teenager named in India T20I squad 

Michael Vaughan has called Vaibhav Sooryavanshi “the best T20 player in the world” and backed his first senior India call-up, for the upcoming tour of England and Ireland. 

The 15-year-old’s inclusion follows an IPL campaign in which he broke several records with the bat. 

Playing for Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.30. He claimed the Orange Cap as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, was named the Most Valuable Player, and picked up the emerging player award.

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He also smashed 72 sixes across the season, surpassing Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of 59 set back in 2012; a milestone he crossed during the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

In that same playoff match, he made 97, and followed it with 96 in the next game. 

His impact is not limited to the IPL. Earlier this year, Sooryavanshi was the driving force behind India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph, as he smashed 175 off 80 balls in the final against England.

It was this performance that had already forced the cricketing world to take notice well before the IPL began.

🗣️”He is the best T20 player in the world!”

Michael Vaughan is in awe of 15 year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who has taken the cricket world by storm 😱 pic.twitter.com/59TyFkrne0

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) June 6, 2026

What did Michael Vaughan say?

Former England captain Vaughan did not hold back while praising Sooryavanshi in the BBC’s Test Match Special. 

“I think he’s the best T20 player in the world. Absolutely, it’s the right call. And I honestly have watched him over the last year or so, and you study when he scores his runs,” he said. 

“You look at the eliminations in the IPL, 15 years of age, he got a 97. The next game he gets a 96. You look at an under-19 World Cup final, what does he do? He gets 175. So this kid can just deliver when it really matters.”

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Vaughan pointed to the pattern of Sooryavanshi’s big innings, not just the volume of runs, but also against the quality of bowling that he has scored. 

“His strike rates are beyond anything that we’ve ever seen. He’s hitting Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball for six, Pat Cummins’ first ball for six, Josh Hazlewood’s first ball for six,” Vaughan added.

“So he’s… he’s not hitting trundlers. He’s damaging the best bowlers in this generation. People are already having huge debates about how to bowl to a 15-year-old.”

MORE:Revealed: Kohli’s special ‘Ek Bihari’ message to Sooryavanshi after IPL final

The Cricket News Opinion: Vaughan is right in his assessment of Sooryavanshi

Vaughan is not being reckless when he calls him the best T20 player in the world right now. 

Sooryavanshi has already played in an IPL Eliminator, broken a record that stood for 14 years, scored 175 in a World Cup final, and done all of it with a composure that most senior players never develop.

He is just saying what the numbers are showing. The tour of England will be the next chapter, and the English conditions will be a stern test for the youngster. 

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