AB de Villiers A big prediction involving two of cricket’s brightest young talents, making comparisons Jacob Bethel India’s teenage sensation Vibhu Suryavanshi and backs both players to become future superstars of the game.While Bethel is still finding its feet in IPL 2026, Suryavanshi has already become one of the biggest stories of the tournament. To represent Rajasthan RoyalsThe 15-year-old prodigy has taken the league by storm with 404 runs in 10 matches and is currently fifth in the Orange Cap standings. His fearless batting and astonishing strike rate of 237.65 have made him one of the most destructive players this season.
Bethel, meanwhile, joined RCB after a successful campaign in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he scored a 45-ball century in the semi-final against India. Retained by Bengaluru for ₹ 2.60 crore, the England youngster spent most of the early IPL season on the bench before getting opportunities following Phil Salt’s injury. So far Bethel has scored 43 runs in four matches with a highest score of 20.Speaking on his YouTube podcast, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru legend praised Bethel, saying the young England batsman reminds him of Suryavanshi as both the left-handers have immense potential in their early careers.“I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned it many times,” de Villiers said. I agree with you, he is a wonderful, wonderful player.“Actually, the ages are very different, but both are left-handed. He reminds me of Suryavanshi. Fantastic talent, huge future ahead of him. Bright, bright, bright superstars of the game of cricket, but still a lot to learn, a lot of hurdles to overcome,” he added. De Villiers asserted that while both players are blessed with exceptional natural ability, experience and overcoming challenges over time will be the key to unlocking their full potential.“Jacob Vaibhav is not as young as Suryavanshi, but with almost similar credentials. Superstar talent but still a lot to learn. “Once they gain experience over time, I think both of them are unstoppable,” he added.The South African great also expressed confidence that RCB will continue to invest in Bethel for the long term.“Hopefully, Jacob will stay with RCB. I have no doubt that they will intend to keep him around for many years to come. I am sure he has the potential to win a lot of games for RCB in the future,” concluded de Villiers.
