'I don’t know how he is going to last' - AB de Villiers' bold statement on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi amid IPL 2026

The legendary AB de Villiers shared an interesting take on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's talent and future in the sport amid the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Sooryavanshi burst onto the scene last year in the IPL and smashed a belligerent century versus the Gujarat Titans. He has gone from strength to strength since then.

In IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi has amassed 440 runs in 11 innings at an average of 40. His strike rate is a mind-boggling 236.56. Many in the cricket fraternity believe that he will be India's poster boy for the next two decades. However, de Villiers believes that he might have a tough time replicating his white-ball heroics in Test matches. The former South Africa captain said that if a good manager advises Sooryavanshi to become a T20 specialist, it would help him have a very successful career.

"I don't know how he is going to last to be honest. At his age, the talent is incredible. But I would like to see him in other formats. In Test cricket, he doesn't yet know what he is in for. A lot of things will change unless someone, who is a really good manager, tells him to be a T20 specialist for the rest of his life. If that's all he plays, it'll be a very long and successful career," de Villiers said on the 'For the Love of Cricket' podcast.

He definitely has the talent to overcome all the obstacles that may come his way: AB de Villiers

While de Villiers believes that playing Test cricket, especially in bowling-friendly conditions, could be tricky for Sooryavanshi, he urged the youngster to take the challenge.

"If he does start nibbling around with ODIs and in particular, Test cricket, he will discover a whole different area of his cricket mentally and physically. He definitely has the talent to overcome all the obstacles that may come his way. But it will not be an easy ride, and it'll be a rocky road. I hope he goes that route and tries to play Test cricket for his country," said AB de Villiers (via the aforementioned source).

So far, in his red-ball career, Sooryavanshi has played eight matches, scoring only 207 runs at an average of 17.25. He has only one half-century to his name.