Star England batter Jos Buttler has applauded Team India’s 14-year-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi as the best player he has ever seen. His comments came before IPL 2026, which will begin on March 26.
Vaibhav recently played during the U19 World Cup 2026, which India won by defeating England in the final by 100 runs on February 6 in Harare as well.
On Tuesday, February 10, speaking on the YouTube podcast ‘For The Love Of Cricket,’ Buttler said: “I was watching it on TV, just thinking, these are not just any old shots; they’re some of the best shots you’ve ever seen. My statement is, he’s the best player I’ve ever seen, because I’m like, how? Who else was doing this at 14 years old? If he’s doing that at 14, what’s he going to be doing at 16, 18, 20?”
“And, you know, if he hadn’t played in the IPL, you’d say, “Oh, he’s only done it in the Under-19 World Cup, and yes, it’s amazing, but let’s see when he steps up to senior cricket.” But he’s already played, he’s got 100 in the IPL. He hit his first ball in the IPL for six. You could arguably say it wasn’t methodical, he just swung and played amazing. But in the game he got 70-odd, it was like against Chennai, and Ashwin and Jadeja were bowling, and he whacked one for six, then sort of tapped one off his hip and trotted down the other end like a seasoned pro, just seeing his team home,” he further added.
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However, Jos Buttler also said that he sees nothing holding Vaibhav Suryavanshi back from reaching new heights as well.
“I can’t imagine what can derail that sort of. I suppose you hope that he’s got some good people around him who will look after him. Because, as you know, cricket in India, the profile that he now has as a 14-year-old, is unprecedented. This is, I imagine, new for anyone. Sachin Tendulkar made his debut at 16, didn’t he? So maybe he was being talked about at this age, but without social media, without so many people seeing you, and without the IPL,” he added.
“But yeah, I think if they look after him, you would assume he’ll just go on to get better and better. So, yeah, I think he’s a pleasure to watch. It’s at, what are we now, 35, 36? It’s like, you know, it’s inspiring and also demoralizing at the same time, isn’t it? Let’s just give it up if 14-year-old kids are playing like this,” Jos Buttler concluded.
