'Vaibhav Suryavanshi is a superstar in the making’ - Sam Billings lauds the youngster who impressed him [Exclusive]

Published - 16 Mar 2026, 16:49 IST | Updated - 16 Mar 2026, 16:56 IST

In an exclusive interaction with CricTracker, Sam Billings talked about the youngsters who have impressed him the most. He called Indian T20I opener Abhishek Sharma phenomenal and also highlighted Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 16-year-old sensation who has impressed everyone and, according to Billings, is destined to become a superstar. Billings even admitted that he wished he could play like him.

Abhishek Sharma, currently the No.1 T20I-ranked batter, had a challenging campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026, scoring just two fifties, one against Zimbabwe and another in the final against New Zealand. In 46 T20Is, he has amassed 1,438 runs at a strike rate of 190.46, including two hundreds and 10 fifties.

Billings also named wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant as another player who has impressed him. He said he loved watching Pant play and has shared the field with him extensively during their time in Delhi during the IPL. While Pant is not as young as some of the other players, Billings noted that there is something special about left-handed batters in full flow.

Pant, who is the Indian Test vice-captain, is known for his unorthodox batting style, which he carries over from white-ball to red-ball cricket. In 49 Tests, he has scored 3,476 runs at an average of 42.91, including eight hundreds and 18 fifties. He has also accumulated 871 ODI runs and 1,209 T20I runs.

Abhishek Sharma. I think he's phenomenal. Obviously, the young 16-year-old (14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi) also. I think I think he's going to be a superstar. I wish I could play like that anyway, let alone being 16. And then, yeah, I mean, he's not young anymore, but I still think Rishabh Pant has his best years ahead of him.I really I love watching him play. I obviously played a lot with him at Delhi. And I know he's not as young as some of those other guys, but, you know, there's something about left-handers when they're in full flow and it just looks so good. So those three guys for me.