Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old Indian cricketer, has been named to Time’s 2026 Time100 Next list and is the youngest honoree this year, according to Time’s announcement.
He is one of seven athletes on the list, along with Texas quarterback Arch Manning, basketball players Tyrese Maxey and Olivia Miles, tennis player Alexandra Eala and soccer players Naomi Girma and Folarin Balogun. Time CEO Jessica Sibley said the honorees are “pushing boundaries, creating new possibilities.”
Sooryavanshi is not the youngest person ever named to Time100 Next. Figure skater Alysa Liu was 14 when she appeared on the inaugural 2019 list, Yahoo Sports reported.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Time100 honor follows a record-setting rise
Rajasthan Royals signed Sooryavanshi at age 13 in the November 2024 Indian Premier League auction, making him the youngest player bought at that event. He made his IPL debut in April 2025 at age 14.
Days later, he scored 101 off 38 balls and became the youngest player to hit a century in men’s T20 cricket, according to Wikipedia’s career summary and Yahoo Sports.
He made his India T20 international debut in July 2026 against Zimbabwe, Outlook India reported. He earned player of the series honors after back-to-back half-centuries, including 81 in the final match.
Sooryavanshi and India at the Asian Games
The Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Time100 news comes as he plays for India’s Asian Games squad in Japan, led by captain Shreyas Iyer and featuring pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah. India advanced to the semifinals after rain forced the abandonment of its quarterfinal against Afghanistan on Monday. India moved on because of its higher world ranking, Gulf Today reported.
Cricket will make its Olympic return at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. For more on India’s recent form, read about Shubman Gill’s double century in a 406 chase.
What is next
The Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Time100 recognition will be celebrated when the Time100 Next event takes place Oct. 29 in New York. Singer-songwriter Raye is scheduled to perform.
