The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen many young talents in the last few years, but this season one name is in the news and that is none other than 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals.
The teenage sensation once again made headlines against Mumbai Indians and former South Africa captain Graeme Smith couldn’t stop praising the RR opener. Smith believes that IPL is the reason why the cricket world is discovering such rare and fearless youngsters today.
He said that Vaibhav is the perfect example of how far the IPL has come, highlighting how a young boy is moving forward with great confidence and taking on the biggest names without any fear.
Graeme Smith calls Vaibhav Suryavanshi the future of modern T20 cricket
Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit a six off the first ball of Jasprit Bumrah, one of the best bowlers in the world, and scored 39 runs in 14 balls to play a key role in Rajasthan Royals’ 27-run win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026 clash in Guwahati.
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Smith said the IPL has changed the entire structure of T20 cricket globally and at the age of just 15 years and 12 days, Vaibhav has already proved what a modern T20 batsman should look like. The South African SA20 chairman shared that he watched the first few weeks of IPL 2026 like every fan, and he feels Vaibhav has what it takes to become a long-term superstar.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi can become a proper superstar during IPL 2026: Graeme Smith
The Proteas great said the left-handed batsman has the timing, courage, mentality and above all, the hunger to attack from the very first ball. Smith pointed out that fans may still love to see legends like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but Vaibhav has brought a new spark.
Graeme Smith wrote in his blog: “The IPL has started exactly as I expected, with flat pitches and high-scoring games. As always, it’s interesting to see how the old-school superstars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli perform, but I think this young Vaibhav Suryavanshi for Rajasthan Royals is worth watching in the first few weeks. He has already shown his ability to produce power with the ball. As a young man, he could become a proper superstar over the course of the tournament.” And I’m really excited to see how he performs.”
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How did IPL change the game?
Graeme Smith also talked about how leagues like SA20 have evolved because of the IPL. South Africa benefited greatly from having their teams led by IPL franchise owners, as they brought top-level scouting, fitness, medical care, coaching and overall professionalism to the system.
The former South Africa captain feels that IPL franchises have the rare ability to spot talent from unexpected places, and Vaibhav, who comes from a small-town background, is the perfect example of how the IPL can turn hidden talent into global stars.
Smith further explained, “We were very fortunate to attract six high-quality IPL teams, and they are the most experienced franchise owners in the world. They are very competitive, they want to win, and they bring a level of cricket and business excellence across the board, from coaching to medical care.
When you are trying to rebuild and develop the cricket ecosystem, it is wonderful to have such partners. It is impossible to compete with IPL, but we have been lucky that they have been very open with us and helped us make big blocks in the initial stage.