former indian allrounder Kapil Dev has chosen not to get involved in the growing hype surrounding teenage star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and said others who follow the game more closely can “better” judge the youngster’s performance.At just 15 years old, Sooryavanshi becomes one of the biggest stories of IPL 2026 with his fearless batting rajasthan royals. The left-handed opener scored 404 runs in 10 games this season, including a stunning 10 and 2 fifties, while bowling against some of the best bowlers in the world. His performance even sparked talk of a possible call-up for India for their T20I series against Ireland and England later this year.The youngster’s meteoric rise was a major talking point at an event attended by Kapil Dev, but the 1983 World Cup-winning captain avoided a detailed assessment of the youngster.
“I don’t know because I haven’t seen that. I’m like you. Whatever you play on TV, I see it and I try to understand the significance. It’s not right for me to watch cricket at home and then make a judgement,” Kapil Dev told reporters on Sunday.Instead, the legendary all-rounder said commentators and former players who follow the game closely will be more qualified to talk about Sooryavanshi’s development.“Those who can talk to everyone and meet everyone, they are better. Like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri or Harsha Bhogle, they understand better than me,” he added.Although Kapil Dev was reluctant to comment, Soriyavanshi’s performance continued to attract widespread praise from the cricketing fraternity. The teenager showed exceptional confidence against elite bowlers such as Jasprit BumrahJosh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins intense pulsed light season.His 36-ball century against Sunrisers Hyderabad became the second-fastest Indian century in IPL history. Ahead of IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi had already made headlines for his stellar performances in junior cricket, which included a knock of 175 off 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final against England.His form has also played a big role in Rajasthan Royals’ strong run, with the team currently sitting fourth in the points table.
