Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has praised teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has become one of the standout stories of IPL 2026 with his breathtaking performances for the Rajasthan Royals. The 15-year-old has turned heads with fearless batting, remarkable composure and maturity well beyond his age, prompting growing debate over whether he is ready for India honours.

Ganguly, however, urged patience regarding Sooryavanshi’s future in longer formats. Speaking to the Times of India, the former India skipper said the youngster is ready for T20 cricket right away, but believes Test selection should wait until he builds a stronger red-ball record in domestic cricket.

“In T20s, he should be included right away, but not in Test cricket. He has to score more runs in first-class cricket to get a place. But at the moment, he’s just too talented. To see a 15-year-old boy bat like this against everyone in the world is phenomenal. He is India’s future,” Sourav Ganguly said.

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Sooryavanshi has been one of the biggest breakout stars of the IPL season, consistently delivering match-winning performances against some of the tournament’s best bowling attacks. His ability to dominate seasoned bowlers at such a young age has made him one of the most talked-about names in Indian cricket and has drawn comparisons with India’s best young prospects from earlier eras.

Ganguly also addressed the challenges faced by Rishabh Pant, who has endured an inconsistent IPL 2026 campaign. While Pant’s T20 form has come under scrutiny, Ganguly made it clear that he still rates the wicketkeeper-batter highly, especially in Test cricket.

“He’s a very good Test player. His Test match batting is world class. He’s still finding it tough to adapt to 120 cricket. I hope he does because he’s got enormous talent,” Sourav Ganguly said.

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The former India captain also noted that captaincy adds pressure to every player, even one as gifted as Pant. According to Ganguly, leadership is an honour, but it also comes with heavy responsibility. Pant’s form and captaincy have remained under constant discussion throughout the season, but Ganguly backed him to overcome the struggles and rediscover his rhythm in the shortest format.