One had to wait for the battle to happen, but boy, oh boy, was the wait worth it. The battle between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jasprit Bumrah proved to be true box-office stuff in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between the Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday. Ahead of the fixture, all the chatter was about how Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old, would tackle the pace of Bumrah and whether there would be nerves on offer. However, rain in Guwahati delayed the start, and the contest was eventually reduced to 11 overs per side.
The contest finally started after 10 PM with Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya winning the toss and opting to bowl. The task was simple for Sooryavanshi: see the ball and hit it. The match being brought down to 11 overs must have freed up Sooryavanshi, if the left-hander had any nerves that is.
Sooryavanshi left everyone’s jaws dropped as he smacked Jasprit Bumrah for a six off the first ball he faced. Even the talisman pacer had a smile on his face, probably startled by the audacity and the fearlessness of the youth. The 15-year-old kid did not stop there as he smacked another six off his bowling in the same over, and this time, Bumrah just went back to his mark without having any reaction.
The first six came off a proper slot ball, and it was right there in the hitting arc for the youngster. The second maximum came off a short ball, which Sooryanshi deposited into the crowd. The left-hander faced just five balls against Bumrah, scoring 13 runs. Fair to say, Sooryavanshi came out on top here and won the mini-battle against the No.1 bowler in the world.
During Sooryavanshi’s stay at the crease, all-India seniors such as Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Bumrah looked frustrated, clueless and out of answers. When Shardul Thakur was hit for a six and a four on consecutive deliveries, the cameras panned to Rohit, who painted a sorry picture and was seemingly displeased with the plans not being executed well by the Mumbai pacer.
Sooryavanshi disappointed
However, Sooryavanshi lost his wicket against the run of play in the fifth over. The incident happened on the final delivery, as the left-hander was caught in the deep by Tilak Varma off the bowling of Shardul. A wide slot ball was hit perfectly well by the batter, but he didn’t get enough connection, and hence Tilak completed a simple catch.
After losing his wicket, Sooryavanshi looked distraught, screaming at himself and berating himself for throwing his wicket away at a crucial point for the team. The U19 World Cup winner might not have been happy with his dismissal, but the youngster shouldn’t be complaining much, as he showed the world what he’s made of. He achieved something that some seniors haven’t been able to do in international cricket: That is, take down Jasprit Bumrah.
