Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named to the 2026 TIME100 Next list, adding another major recognition to a record-breaking rise that has taken the 15-year-old from domestic cricket to the IPL and senior India team in little more than two years. The Bihar-born batter is the youngest of this year’s 100 honourees, the only Indian athlete selected and one of seven sports figures included.
Sooryavanshi features in the Phenom category of the annual list, which recognises emerging figures across fields including sport, entertainment, politics and business. TIME CEO Jessica Sibley said in a statement: “This year’s list-makers are pushing boundaries, creating new possibilities, and advancing their fields and communities around the world.”
The teenager’s emergence has already produced a series of age and performance records across multiple levels of the game. TIME described Sooryavanshi as “fast becoming one of global sport’s most electrifying figures” as he joined a group of athletes spanning cricket, basketball, American football, football and tennis.
From Ranji Trophy debut to IPL breakthrough
Sooryavanshi entered senior professional cricket with Bihar in the Ranji Trophy in 2024 at the age of 12. His trajectory accelerated when Rajasthan Royals secured him for ₹1 crore (approx. US$ 104K) ahead of the 2025 IPL season, making him the youngest player bought at an IPL auction.
He subsequently became the IPL’s youngest player when he debuted for the Royals at 14. His first season produced 252 runs across seven innings, including a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans that made him the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket and, at the time, the fastest Indian centurion in IPL history.
A significantly expanded role followed in 2026. Sooryavanshi amassed 776 runs in 16 matches, including one century and five half-centuries, and finished as Rajasthan Royals’ leading run-scorer. He also struck 72 sixes during the campaign, surpassing Chris Gayle’s previous record for the most sixes in an IPL season, while becoming the tournament’s youngest Orange Cap and Emerging Player of the Year winner.
International breakthrough extends record-setting run
Sooryavanshi’s progress soon carried into senior international cricket. He made his India T20I debut against England in Manchester in 2026, becoming the youngest male cricketer to represent India and surpassing the longstanding age record held by Sachin Tendulkar.
Across his first six T20Is, the left-hander accumulated 193 runs, with a highest score of 81 against Zimbabwe. In his second T20I series, he finished as the leading run-scorer as India completed a 3-0 away sweep of Zimbabwe, recording two half-centuries during the three matches.
His 50 from 19 deliveries in the series opener made him the youngest player to score a half-century in men’s international cricket. He later struck 81 from 49 balls in Harare.
The teenager has also made an impact beyond the senior national side. He helped India win the Under-19 World Cup earlier in 2026, scoring a century against England in the final, and was named Player of the Tournament.
His progress in List A cricket brought another benchmark in June, when he reached a half-century from 11 deliveries for India A against Sri Lanka A in the Tri-Nation series final in Colombo, setting the record for the fastest men’s List A fifty. He was subsequently appointed East Zone Vice-Captain for its Duleep Trophy-winning campaign in August.
Sooryavanshi, as quoted by TIME, said: “For whatever duration I am on the ground, as long as I dominate and play, I can snatch the match from opponents’ hands.”
Sooryavanshi joins global group of emerging athletes
Only six other athletes feature alongside Sooryavanshi on the 2026 TIME100 Next list. The group comprises American football quarterback Arch Manning, NBA player Tyrese Maxey, footballers Naomi Girma and Folarin Balogun, tennis player Alexandra Eala and basketball player Olivia Miles.
His latest recognition arrives while he is representing India at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Sooryavanshi made his Asian Games debut in Thursday’s semifinal against Sri Lanka, scoring 38 from 21 deliveries as India advanced to the gold-medal match.
