Former India wicketkeeper-batter and Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik has urged teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to prepare for the challenges that come with success, both on and off the field. While praising the 15-year-old’s extraordinary talent, Karthik believes managing expectations and external attention will be just as important as scoring runs if the youngster is to enjoy a long and successful career.
Sooryavanshi has quickly emerged as one of the brightest young stars in world cricket after a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign. His sensational performances earned him a maiden India call-up for the T20I series against Ireland and England. However, despite the growing excitement surrounding his arrival, the left-handed opener is still waiting for his international debut.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Karthik described Sooryavanshi as one of the most exciting cricketers in the game today. He praised the youngster’s fearless approach, remarkable range of strokeplay, and ability to dominate quality bowling attacks without showing signs of pressure.
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“His ability to strike around the ground with the tempo he does it at, while not being fazed by whoever his opponent is, makes him special. Like everybody in life, I am sure he’ll face issues with batting and things that happen off the field. He needs to learn to deal with it better,” Dinesh Karthik said.
The teenager enjoyed a dream IPL season with Rajasthan Royals, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 776 runs at an astonishing strike rate of over 237. He also delivered under pressure, smashing explosive 90-plus scores in both playoff matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans to cement his reputation as a future superstar.
Karthik believes the biggest test of Sooryavanshi’s career will not be his batting ability but his response to the intense spotlight that accompanies early success. The former India star advised him to stay grounded and learn how to handle constant scrutiny in a healthy manner.
“At this moment, most of the things are rosy. Sky is the limit and he can be an extraordinary T20 batter. There is no reason why he can’t break any record that’s out there. My one piece of advice would be to learn to deal with a lot of the noise off the field in a very healthy manner because that’s going to be his biggest challenge,” Dinesh Karthik added.
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Despite featuring in only two IPL seasons, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already rewritten several records. He owns the fastest and second-fastest IPL centuries by an Indian batter, reaching the landmark in just 35 and 36 balls respectively. He also surpassed Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the most sixes in a single IPL season, blasting 72 maximums during the unforgettable 2026 campaign.
