Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named in TIME100 Next 2026

The 15-year-old sensational young Indian opening batter, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, was named in TIME magazine’s TIME100 Next 2026 list, which reflects the ‘world’s most influential rising stars.’ It has been a superb achievement for the left-handed batter, who has found his name among the seven sportspersons.

Sooryavanshi is the only Indian athlete to be featured in the list. Apart from him, the footballers Folarin Balogun and Maomi Girma, tennis star Alexandra Eala, basketball players Olivia Miles, and Tyrese Maxi, have featured in the list along with American football quarterback, Arch Manning.

Sooryavanshi becomes the youngest name on TIME100 Next 2026

Sooryavanshi is the youngest person to be listed and is among the seven athletes to be named. The British singer-songwriter Raye, who also made the list, will perform at the annual Time100 Next event on October 29 in New York. The magazine foresees them as influencing their respective fields, including sport, entertainment, politics, and business.

“This year's list-makers are pushing boundaries, creating new possibilities, and advancing their fields and communities around the world.” The Time CEO, Jessica Sibley, expressed in a recent interview.

Sooryavanshi has broken several records in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Rajasthan Royals in just a couple of seasons. Even while featuring for the blue brigade, he has done a tremendous job in whatever opportunities he has got.

How Sooryavanshi performed recently: IPL 2026 sixes record, T20I debut and an Asian Games semifinal knock

The 15-year-old celebrated a strong 2026 season of the IPL when he finished the campaign as the leading run-getter. The southpaw smacked 776 runs in 16 innings at an average of 48.50 and a brutal strike rate of 237.50, thanks to his five half-centuries and one century at the best score of 103 runs against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

In his T20I career of six innings, Sooryavanshi has clubbed 193 runs at an average of 32.16 and a fantastic strike rate of 189.21, with a couple of fifties at the best score of 81 runs. It was decorated with 16 boundaries and 14 over boundaries.

During the recent Asian Games 2026 semifinal against Sri Lanka in Nisshin, on a tough surface, the Indian star nailed 38 runs off 21 balls at a strike rate of 180.95 with six boundaries and a pair of sixes, which reflects his class and skill along with his brutal power.