As the Rajasthan Royals failed to reach the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 title, head coach Kumar Sangakkara couldn’t be prouder of how the team played so far till Qualifier 2. However, it was the Gujarat Titans side who emerged victorious on Friday, securing a seven-wicket win to enter the final.

Speaking to the media in the press conference after the match, Sangakkara said, “I think you never know if anyone’s ready until they play. With everything Vaibhav’s shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he’s more than ready to take on any challenge that you throw at him. And I’m sure that he’ll get that call-up very, very soon. He’s batted with a lot of maturity. He shouldered the responsibility of that opening partnership so well for us this season.”

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However, Kumar Sangakkara was also asked how he and the rest of the support staff at Rajasthan Royals shield the young Vaibhav from social media. Notably, he ends his IPL 2026 campaign with the Orange Cap with 776 runs in 16 matches.

“We’ve got a good plan around him. We don’t clutter his mind too much. He comes to all our team meetings, he contributes, he listens, and he does a lot of homework. He practises well, and he reads bowlers well. He watches their videos and prepares himself really well. So, we don’t want to put any unnecessary thoughts into his head. I think a clear mind, batting with that courage, is exactly what we want to see from him,” Kumar Sangakkara said.