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Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been making headlines for his amazing performances in the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The former cricketer, coach and cricketer-turned-commentator are all in awe of the way the 15-year-old sensation has taken the Rich Cash League to a different level. He played a breathtaking inning of 97 runs in 29 balls last night.
The latest person to comment on Vaibhav is Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer. The former Australia opener highlighted Wonderboy’s batting talent and also shared his experience of watching him bat from the opposition dugout. After the innings against LSG where he scored 93 runs, Langer asked for a photo after the match.
It involved a 15-year-old boy from a small village in Bihar – Justin Langer on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
“Last week, I did something I’ve only done twice in my life, I asked another athlete for a selfie. The first time I met my childhood AFL hero, South Fremantle’s Stephen Michael, at Optus Stadium a few years ago. The second time happened more recently, and it involved a 15-year-old boy from a small village in Bihar.”
“His name is Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He demolished my Lucknow Super Giants, sending the ball to every corner of the ground with power and confidence that seemed impossible for anyone of his age. In this IPL season alone, he has hit 53 sixes, the most by any batsman in any T20 tournament in history, second only to Chris Gayle.”
Justin Langer was surprised to see the fearless mentality of Vaibhav Suryavanshi
After watching him bat, Langer posted on his LinkedIn account writing about the boy. However, mentioning that Chris Gayle’s record of 59 sixes in a season in IPL was broken last night by Vaibhav Suryavanshi who scored 65 runs in a season and he hit 12 sixes in the night.
“He is already the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket. And remarkably, he is still only 15 years old. Having spent 35 years in the game, I can honestly say I have never seen anyone like him. Not just because of the runs, sixes or records, but because of the way he played. Fearlessness.”
“Conviction. A complete lack of hesitation. He delivered another breathtaking performance in the playoff tie last night, reinforcing the feeling that we could be witnessing something truly extraordinary. Watching him get me thinking about talent, a word we use constantly in sports, yet we rarely take the time to fully understand it.”
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is defeating big giants
Last night, Vaibhav Suryavanshi broke several records as he became the first batsman to score 600+ runs with a strike rate of over 200 in an IPL season. He also became the first uncapped batsman to score the most runs in an IPL season by scoring 680* runs, and tomorrow he will have a chance to go past 700 runs.
“Interestingly, while Vaibhav was taking Indian cricket by storm, on the other side of the world another athlete was making history. In Melbourne, 38-year-old Scott Pendlebury was preparing to play his 433rd game and break the all-time VFL/AFL appearance record. Two athletes. Two continents. Two completely different interpretations of the same concept.”
“One represents raw, breathtaking ability – the kind of gift that leaves audiences speechless. The other symbolizes mastery built over decades, where consistency, discipline and tireless commitment have transformed talent into greatness. I found myself reflecting on both stories while writing for The Nightly this week.”
“So what exactly is talent? Is it the rare gift that announces itself at age 15 and changes the game overnight? Or is it an art developed after hundreds of games and countless years of dedication? Perhaps the answer is somewhere in between. But I’m curious: Which version of talent impresses you more – the gift, or the craft?”
Also read: West Indies squad announced for Women’s T20 World Cup; Got huge support from men’s team
