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Former Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev chose not to weigh in on the growing hype surrounding teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying others who follow the game more closely are “better” placed to judge the youngster’s performances.Sooryavanshi, just 15 years old, has become one of the biggest stories of IPL 2026 with his fearless batting for Rajasthan Royals. The left-handed opener has scored 404 runs in 10 matches this season, including a stunning century and two fifties, while taking apart some of the world’s best bowlers. His performances have even sparked discussions around a possible India call-up for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England later this year.The youngster’s rapid rise was a major talking point during an event attended by Kapil Dev, but the 1983 World Cup-winning captain avoided offering a detailed assessment of the teenager.
“I don’t know because I haven’t seen that. I am like you people. Whatever you put on TV, I see, and I try to make sense out of that. I watch cricket at home on TV, and then giving judgment is not correct,” Kapil Dev told reporters on Sunday.Instead, the legendary all-rounder suggested that commentators and former players who closely follow the game would be more qualified to speak about Sooryavanshi’s development.“People who talk and see everybody, they are better. Like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, or Harsha Bhogle, they can make more sense than I can,” he added.Despite Kapil Dev’s reluctance to comment, Sooryavanshi’s performances continue to attract widespread praise across the cricketing world. The teenager has shown remarkable confidence against elite bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins during the ongoing IPL season.His 36-ball century against Sunrisers Hyderabad became the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in IPL history. Before IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi had already made headlines through his exploits in youth cricket, including a sensational 175 off 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final against England.His form has also played a major role in Rajasthan Royals’ strong campaign, with the franchise currently placed fourth on the points table.
