Vaibhav Sooryavanshi compared with Jacob Bethell; Ex-RCB star says these two will be 'unstoppable'
Cricket legend AB de Villiers has drawn a striking parallel between England's Jacob Bethell and India's 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, predicting both left-handers will become future superstars. While Sooryavanshi is dazzling in IPL 2026 with Rajasthan Royals, Bethell, now with RCB, is showing immense potential. De Villiers believes their natural talent, coupled with experience, will make them unstoppable.
AB de Villiers has made a massive prediction involving two of cricket’s brightest young talents, comparing Jacob Bethell to India’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and backing both players to become future superstars of the game. While Bethell is still finding his feet in IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi has already become one of the biggest stories of the tournament. Representing Rajasthan Royals, the 15-year-old prodigy has taken the league by storm with 404 runs in 10 matches and currently sits 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. Bethell, meanwhile, joined RCB after a stunning breakthrough campaign in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he smashed a 45-ball century in the semi-final against India.
Retained by Bengaluru for ₹2. 60 crore, the England youngster spent much of the early IPL season on the bench before getting opportunities following Phil Salt’s injury. So far, Bethell has scored 43 runs in four matches with a highest score of 20.
Speaking on his YouTube podcast, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru legend showered praise on Bethell, saying the young England batter reminds him of Sooryavanshi due to the immense talent both left-handers possess at such an early stage of their careers. “I am pretty sure I have mentioned his name few times. I do agree with you.