'More than ready': Kumar Sangakkara backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for India call-up after dream IPL

TimesofIndia.com in Mullanpur: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's remarkable IPL 2026 campaign may have ended with Rajasthan Royals falling short in Qualifier 2, but the conversation around the 15-year-old has only grown louder. After another composed knock under pressure in a high-stakes playoff, Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara delivered perhaps the strongest endorsement yet of the teenager's future, declaring that he is "more than ready" for any challenge, including an India call-up.The Rajasthan Royals opener amassed 776 runs in 16 innings at a blistering strike rate of 237.30, including one century and five fifties. Sooryavanshi's season has been one of the defining stories of the tournament. The and capped off his campaign with another mature innings when Rajasthan needed him most. At Mullanpur Stadium, where the pitch was double paced in the first innings, when wickets kept tumbling around him, the teenager resisted the pressure and guided his side to a competitive total. He scored a 47-ball 96 against the Gujarat Titans (GT), after scoring a 19-ball 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), a couple of days ago on the same venue. Sangakkara, who is Rajasthan Royals director of cricket as well as the head coach, was particularly impressed by the way Sooryavanshi handled the situation."I thought he batted brilliantly today. It was a much tougher batting innings with wickets falling around him and he held his nerve and really got us to a defendable total," Sangakkara said after the match.What continues to stand out, according to the former Sri Lanka captain, is not merely the teenager's shot-making ability but his understanding of the game."The guy, for 15-years-old, is very mature, he reads the game really well, he reads situations well and he's got no fear," Sangakkara said.The question naturally followed: is Sooryavanshi ready for India?Sangakkara's response left little room for doubt."You never know if anyone's ready until they play. And 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."The Royals coach went a step further and predicted that national recognition may not be far away."I'm sure that he'll get that call-up very, very soon," he said.The praise was not limited to Sooryavanshi's runs. Sangakkara highlighted the responsibility the youngster has carried throughout the season, particularly at the top of the order."He's batted with a lot of maturity. He has shouldered the responsibility of that opening partnership so well for us this season."With expectations around the teenager continuing to soar, Rajasthan Royals are already planning carefully for his development during the off-season. Sangakkara revealed that the franchise will create an individual programme for Sooryavanshi, covering fitness, skill development and workload management.Like every player in the squad, the teenager will have a customised roadmap prepared in consultation with the Royals' medical and coaching staff."We'll sit down with our medical team and go through what he might need and then support him. We'll run our camps, he'll have enough practice opportunities with us. So we'll be keeping a very close eye, not just on Vaibhav, but all our players," Sangakkara said.Managing a prodigious talent, however, extends beyond batting drills and fitness sessions. In the age of social media, every innings, every failure and every success is amplified. Sangakkara said the franchise is conscious of protecting Sooryavanshi from unnecessary distractions."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."The former Sri Lankan captain stressed that maintaining a clear mind is critical for a young player whose greatest strength remains his fearless approach."We don't want to put any unnecessary thoughts into his head. A clear mind, batting with that courage, is exactly what we want to see of him."For Sangakkara, coaching a 15-year-old is ultimately no different from coaching any elite cricketer. The focus remains on understanding the individual rather than overwhelming them with information."Overloading people with information is never good. So we keep things pretty simple when we can," he said.If Sooryavanshi's IPL campaign proved anything, it is that simplicity, clarity and fearlessness can take a player a very long way. And if Sangakkara's assessment is accurate, the next stop could well be the Indian dressing room in Ireland.