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Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has recalled his first meeting with Vaibhav Suryavanshi during the training session of Rajasthan Royals (RR). The Royals director of cricket said the 15-year-old immediately caught everyone’s attention with his fearless strokeplay in the nets while facing international fast bowlers.
Suryavanshi enjoyed a sensational IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals. The left-handed batsman finished as the leading run-scorer in the tournament and was called up to India for the first time. However, The southpaw is still waiting for his international debut After losing the first T20I against Ireland in Belfast on Friday.
When I came I saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi for the first time… – Kumar Sangakkara
Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket during the India-Ireland T20I broadcast, Kumar Sangakkara recalled his first impression of Vaibhav Suryavanshi in a training camp. He said that Kishore willingly batted in the toughest practice nets against Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma and other fast bowlers.
“I first saw Vaibhav when I came to Guwahati for a two-week period. There was a tiny, horrible little side net where players like Archer and Sandeep Sharma were bowling with the new ball, and nobody really wanted to bat there. Then I saw Vaibhav come in and said, ‘I’ll bat.’ “Every time he hit the ball, I heard his bat sound like a gunshot,” Sangakkara said.
Kumar Sangakkara remembers the first time he saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi in action pic.twitter.com/lMw8N7WLht
– Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 26, 2026
Vaibhav Suryavanshi was behaving very disrespectfully towards Joffra Archer – Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara said that even experienced international fast bowlers were surprised by Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s fearless batting during the practice session. He recalled that Jofra Archer could only laugh after being repeatedly attacked by the teenager despite facing the new ball at a faster pace.
Sangakkara said, “And I think he killed Archer; he killed Sandeep Sharma too. So much so that at one point, I think Archer stopped and started laughing. Because he was bowling fast, and this 14-year-old kid was treating him with complete contempt.”
The former Sri Lanka captain revealed that he immediately told Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid that Suryavanshi was ready for top-level cricket. Sangakkara said the teenage player has already shown enough potential to make it into the playing eleven.
“And then I saw him, and my reaction to Rahul coming out was, ‘Yeah, you’re ready to play whenever you want to play him. The kid is absolutely incredible,'” he said.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi eyes India debut after rewriting IPL record books
Despite growing calls for his inclusion, Vaibhav Suryavanshi did not make his debut for India in the opening T20I against Ireland. India failed to chase the target of 183 runs and were all out for 148 runs in 18.5 overs at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.
The teenager was called up to India for the first time after a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals. He scored 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and an excellent strike rate of 237.30.
Suryavanshi rewrote the record books by hitting 72 sixes during the season, breaking Chris Gayle’s record of most sixes in an IPL edition. He also won the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Most Sixer awards.
If India retain the same opening combination for the second T20I against Ireland, Suryavanshi may get a chance during the five-match T20I series against England next month. The 15-year-old recently scored a record half-century in 11 balls in a List A match for India A.