Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued his dream run in IPL 2026, turning a daunting 202-run chase into a stroll for Rajasthan Royals with a stunning 78 off just 25 balls at a strike rate of 300. The 15-year-old looked determined to take apart the RCB attack, showing no regard for the reputations of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as he peppered the ground with boundaries. His fearless approach set the tone for the chase, leaving the defending champions with little room to recover. Riding on his explosive knock, RR chased down the target with two overs to spare against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Vaibhav showed no hesitation in his strokeplay, smashing seven sixes and eight fours, and raced to his half-century in just 15 balls, once again underlining his remarkable impact this season.
He also surged past his Rajasthan Royals opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, in the Orange Cap race with a dazzling 78, taking his tally to 200 runs from four matches.
As he made his way towards Murali Karthik to collect the Orange Cap and take part in the post-match presentation as Player of the Match, he paused for a moment. Before stepping up, he respectfully bent down to touch BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla’s feet and seek his blessings, reflecting his grounded and humble nature despite the spotlight. He then walked on to receive the Orange Cap.
Meanwhile, the 15-year-old kept things simple against some of the game’s biggest names. He had smashed Jasprit Bumrah for a six off the very first ball he faced earlier, and on Friday, he did the same to Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, finding boundaries off his first deliveries against both.
Sooryavanshi kept his feet on the ground the entire time in the post-match interview and explained the thinking behind his fearless batting, saying he prefers to keep things simple and stick to what he does in practice. He added that he avoids trying anything extra at the crease and instead focuses on backing his natural game.
“I just try to do what I do in practice and try not to do extra, and back my natural game,’ the 15-year-old was humble while explaining his process.
“If I stay on wicket, then 10-20 runs more can be made”
The young opener didn’t shy away from expressing his visible frustration after getting out, explaining that it stems from a strong sense of responsibility towards the team. He said that spending more time at the crease could easily add 10–20 extra runs, which might help finish a chase earlier or push the team to a bigger total.
“If I stay on the wicket, then another 10-20 runs can be made, if we are chasing the target, then we can finish it two overs earlier, or if we set the target, then 10-20 runs can be made more. So I regret that if I am out by playing a loose shot, then the team is going minus, so I just get a little upset that I could have played longer,” he concluded.
