Jos Buttler, the England wicketkeeper-batsman, has showered accolades on Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, declaring him the best player he has ever witnessed. This praise followed Sooryavanshi’s stunning performance, where he scored 175 runs off just 80 balls in the U-19 World Cup 2026 final against England. Speaking on the ‘Love for Cricket’ podcast, Buttler expressed his excitement about what Sooryavanshi could achieve as he matures. “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen because, really, who else was performing at that level at 14? If he can do this now, just imagine what he’ll accomplish at 16, 18, or even 20,” Buttler stated. Pacer Mark Wood chimed in, probing if Buttler truly sees this 14-year-old becoming a cricket superstar. “That’s a bold claim from you,” Wood remarked. Buttler responded confidently, noting that Sooryavanshi already has an IPL century to his name. “I don’t see why he wouldn’t be a superstar. If he had only shone in the U-19 World Cup, we might have reservations, but he’s already demonstrated his talent in the IPL, hitting a six on his very first ball there,” the 35-year-old stated. England’s squad is currently gearing up for their T20 World Cup 2026 match against the West Indies on February 11 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where they are positioned third in Group C with two points and a net run rate (NRR) of +0.200.
