"Best player I've ever seen": Jos Buttler heaps praise on 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

New Delhi [India], February 10 (ANI): The England wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler hailed the 14-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the best player he has ever seen. Buttler's remarks come after Sooryavanshi's record-shattering and match-winning 175 in 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup 2026 final against India.
Speaking on the 'Love for Cricket' podcast, Buttler called Sooryavanshi the best player he has ever seen and added that if Sooryavanshi is producing such batting brilliance at the age of 14, it's exciting to imagine how good he could be at 16, 18, or 20.
"My statement is he's the best player I've ever seen, 'cause I'm like, who else was doing this at 14 years old? If he's doing that at 14, what's he gonna be doing at 16, 18, 20?
Mark Wood, who also appeared on the 'Love for Cricket' podcast, replied to Buttler, saying, "That's a pretty big statement from you", and further asked, "Do you see him being an absolute superstar, or do you think there's any way he gets derailed?"
Buttler said it's hard to doubt Sooryavanshi's talent, noting that excelling at 14 is remarkable and adding that the youngster has already proven himself by scoring a century in the IPL.
"I don't see how he can't be, you know? To be playing the way he can at 14 years old, and if he hadn't played in the IPL, you'd say, 'Oh, he's only done it in an under-19 World Cup, and yes, it's amazing, but let's see when he steps up to senior cricket.' But he's already played... he's got a hundred in the IPL. He hit his first ball in the IPL for six."
Coming to Sooryavanshi's 175 against England in the U-19 World Cup final, Sooryavanshi's masterclass (175 in 80 balls, with 15 fours and 15 sixes) guided India to a massive 411/9, with the Men in Blue eventually winning the match by 100 runs and lifting their record-extending 6th U-19 World Cup.
Sooryavanshi also earned the Player of the Tournament award for his 439 runs in the tournament. Sooryavanshi rewrote multiple records during his 175 in the final, as he also became the batter to hit the most sixes in a single Under-19 World Cup innings. He smashed 15 sixes, breaking the previous record of 12 sixes held by Australia's Michael Hill. Batting at a blistering strike rate of 218.75, his innings included 15 fours and 15 sixes. Remarkably, 150 of his runs came through boundaries alone.
Additionally, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 2025 year was a relentless assault on the record books. The young cricket sensation was honoured with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar after becoming the youngest player to earn an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract and the youngest centurion in T20 cricket with a 35-ball IPL century against the Gujarat Titans. He also scored the fastest century in U19 ODIs with a 52-ball 143, became the youngest centurion in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a 61-ball 108 and became the youngest player to hit a century in men's List A cricket, among other achievements that marked the arrival of a generational talent. (ANI)