Jos Buttler is in awe of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s talent and said that the batting prodigy has a great future ahead. For the wicketkeeper-batter, Sooryavanshi is the best player he has ever seen, as he wished the young batter to keep up the good work
In a freewheeling chat with Sooryavanshi and Rajasthan Royals team manager Romy Bhinder, Buttler also recalled Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking 175 off 80 balls in the U-19 World Cup final, and said that knock in Harare “broke English hearts”.
“I said don’t get him too excited. I said the best player I’ve ever seen. Imagine when he is 21 or 25, world at his feet. So good to watch. You broke English hearts in the U-19 World Cup. It’s awesome,” said Buttler.
During that chat, Sooryavanshi was seen smiling as Buttler praised him. The former RR player also urged the youngster to keep working hard.
“Playing so well, great to watch, keep it up. That freedom is so good to watch,” he also said.
Sooryavanshi, who scored the fastest IPL century by an Indian last year, has already started IPL 2026 running by slamming a 17-ball 52 against Chennai Super Kings.
Buttler didn’t quite get going in the opening game, managing 38 off 33 balls against Punjab Kings in a rather scratchy knock.
He will now be looking to bounce back and get into his usual rhythm when he faces the Royals, the team he spent several years with.
Last season was a strong one for Buttler. Playing his first year with Gujarat Titans after a long stint with Rajasthan from 2018 to 2024, he scored 538 runs in 13 innings. He averaged close to 60 and scored at a strike rate above 163, which also included five half-centuries.
Overall in the IPL, Buttler has an impressive record. Across 122 matches, he has scored 4,158 runs at an average of nearly 40 and a strike rate close to 149. His tally includes seven hundreds and 24 fifties, with a highest score of 124.
