Mumbai Indians struck twice inside the powerplay at the Wankhede on Sunday, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal first and then Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to leave Rajasthan Royals without both openers in a game carrying major playoff weight. For RR, batting first in a match they needed to control, the early double blow cut straight into their strongest plan.
Sooryavanshi’s dismissal hurt more because of what came immediately after it. The 15-year-old looked up towards the sky in visible despair while walking back, his reaction capturing the pressure of the moment better than the scorecard could.
Sooryavanshi’s reaction showed how much the wicket hurt
This was not only an early wicket. It was the wicket of the batter that Rajasthan needed to steady and revive the powerplay after Jaiswal had already fallen.
RR’s best starts this season have come when Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi have attacked together. Jaiswal gives them established quality at the top. Sooryavanshi gives them shock value, boundary speed and immediate pressure on the bowling side. Once Jaiswal was gone, the responsibility on Sooryavanshi became even sharper.
He could not afford to follow him quickly. That is why the walk back stood out. Sooryavanshi did not look casually annoyed. He looked crushed. The upward glance towards the sky showed a young batter who knew the timing of the dismissal had damaged RR’s innings.
For the Mumbai Indians, it was the perfect start. They had not only removed one opener, but they had also broken Rajasthan’s launchpad before the innings could properly gather pace. For RR, it meant the middle order had to begin repair work much earlier than planned.
Sooryavanshi has already become too important for Rajasthan for his wicket to be treated as a bonus loss. His IPL 2026 season has changed the way teams look at him. He is no longer just a 15-year-old story. He is one of RR’s main weapons in the first six overs.
That makes the disappointment understandable. A young player can be fearless and still feel the weight of failure. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s reaction showed exactly that. He knew the match situation. He knew Jaiswal had already gone. He knew RR needed him to stay and rebuild the early momentum.
Instead, he had to walk back before doing damage. The image of him looking towards the sky may become one of the lasting visuals of Rajasthan’s innings, not because the dismissal was unusual, but because the emotion was so clear. At 15, Sooryavanshi is already carrying expectation, and on Sunday, that expectation was written across his face.
