“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the IPL this year.”
No other remark better captured the staggering scale of the Sooryavanshi phenomenon during IPL 2026 than Jos Buttler’s first-hand account. The former Rajasthan Royals batter not only reflected on the teenager’s extraordinary season but also admitted that he hopes to see the 15-year-old feature during India’s T20I tour of England next month.
Speaking on the YouTube channel for the podcast For The Love of Cricket, Buttler looked back on IPL 2026 and the final, where Gujarat Titans lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. While RCB’s successful title defence dominated the headlines, Buttler felt Sooryavanshi ultimately became the defining story of the season.
“RCB won the trophy and they are the story of the IPL. But Vaibhav is nearly the IPL this year. He is the story of the tournament. MVP, 700-plus runs and at a faster strike rate than everyone else. It was amazing to watch,” he said.
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Although Rajasthan Royals failed to reach the final, Sooryavanshi was present at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, where he watched the match alongside ICC chairman Jay Shah before sweeping five individual honours for his record-breaking campaign.
The teenager finished IPL 2026 with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.3, smashing 72 sixes along the way. He won the Orange Cap, Super Striker award, Most Valuable Player honour and Emerging Player award, while also finishing as the season’s leading six-hitter.
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad went a step further, suggesting that Sooryavanshi may be the first cricketer to become a global star before even making his international debut.
“I said in my last podcast that I have not seen a player become an international star without having played international cricket. In England, people are talking about him. They may not even be IPL fans, but they are saying, ‘Oh my God, have you seen Sooryavanshi? He’s unbelievable.’ He has become a world star. Not like Kohli or anything, but he is probably the first player to become a world star without playing international cricket,” Broad said.
Buttler then offered a glimpse into the scale of the Sooryavanshi craze, revealing that during Rajasthan’s match in Kolkata, nearly half the crowd had turned up wearing the teenager’s Royals jersey. He also disclosed that a dedicated song was played whenever Sooryavanshi unleashed one of his trademark boundary-hitting assaults.
“His impact in India is massive. He is the guy everyone is talking about. I was chatting with Rajasthan Royals’ former owner Manoj Badale, who told me that in Kolkata, half the stadium had turned up to watch Vaibhav and they were all wearing his RR jersey.
“Imagine that pressure at 15 when you get off the bus and see that, but he has soaked it all up. And when he bats, I don’t know whether Rajasthan Royals have done it or the tournament, but there is a song for him, this Sooryavanshi song, that comes on when he’s blasting you.”
While still only speculation, Buttler admitted he would love to see Sooryavanshi in England during the five-match T20I series next month.
“I hope to see him in England. Well, maybe not for our bowlers. But it will be worth it because you can see it among the players and support staff. Everyone is intrigued and I want to see this guy.”
Whether Buttler gets his wish will depend largely on Sooryavanshi’s performances in the upcoming India A one-day tri-series. Selectors had indicated last month that the tournament could play a significant role in discussions surrounding a potential T20I debut during the England tour.