Captain of Gujarat Titans Shabman Gul Vibhu Suryavanshi’s phenomenal IPL 2026 season has perhaps the biggest endorsement ever, with the 15-year-old defining it. Rajasthan Royals batsman as “one of the best batsmen in the world” in the T20 format.Gill’s praise came on the eve of the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, less than 24 hours into the thrilling Qualifier 2 clash between the two players. While Gill’s brilliant 104 led Gujarat to a seven-wicket win and a place in the final, it was Suryavanshi’s brilliant 96 that once again grabbed the limelight.The youngster scored 776 runs from the tournament, including six scores of fifties or more, a strike rate of 237.30 and an astonishing 72 sixes. He also produced back-to-back play-off masterclasses after his 97 off 29 balls along with 96 off 47 balls in the eliminator against Gujarat.Reflecting on Suryavanshi’s impressive campaign, Gill admitted that he had rarely seen a batsman dominate in such a manner.The kind of season he had is remarkable. I have never seen anyone bat the way he does.The Gujarat skipper then made a bold prediction of the youngster’s standing in the shortest format.“I think probably in this format, he is one of the best batsmen in the world right now.”Gill believes that Suryavanshi’s success is much more than his ability to clear the boundary ropes. According to him, the youngster’s unique biomechanics and exceptional bat speed set him apart from most players.“It’s not just hitting those boundaries, but his biomechanics and his hand speed no matter who he plays against.”Suryavanshi once again showed these qualities in Qualifier 2. After Gujarat’s pace attack got in early and prevented them from getting off to a flying start, the youngster rebuilt the innings and kept Rajasthan in the contest with another fearlessness.Gill said the ability to adapt and fight back under pressure is as prominent as the runs themselves.“He didn’t get off to a flying start today, but the way he managed to come back into the game, he kept putting us under pressure, that tells you about his mentality.”After following up his 97 in the eliminator, the left-hander eventually fell to 96, missing out on centuries in consecutive playoff matches. Nevertheless, his innings helped Rajasthan recover to 214/6 after a shaky start.Gayle believes that the challenges posed by Suryavanshi are only going to increase for the bowlers in the coming years.“I think in the years to come, he’s going to have a tough time against the opposition he plays against.”Suryavanshi’s impressive campaign has won praise from across the cricketing world, and Gill’s comments add another glowing endorsement to a season that has rewritten expectations of what a 15-year-old can achieve at the highest level of franchise cricket.
