Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might be setting the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 stage on fire with his batting exploits, but a mystery remains around one key facet of his game. For two games in a row, the Rajasthan Royals management decided to keep the 15-year-old on the bench during the fielding innings and have him involved as a batter. The move to have the youngster as an impact player has already raised a few eyebrows, and now it has come to light that even Sooryavanshi was a bit unhappy with the development when he first heard about it.
Sooryavanshi first played as an impact sub in the IPL 2026 match against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) last week at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. In the same fixture, he brought the house down with his performance with the bat, scoring 78 runs off 26 balls.
On Monday, the left-handed batter once again played as an impact player against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. It was therefore not on the field when Riyan Parag won the toss and opted to bowl.
During Hyderabad’s batting innings, Rajasthan Royals assistant coach Trevor Penny was asked about the decision to have Sooryavanshi as the impact player, and he revealed that the U19 World Cup winner himself isn’t too happy, as he loves his fielding and wants to be out there, giving it his all for the team.
However, he also explained that the decision to have Sooryavanshi on the bench wasn’t taken in the first few games, as Donovan Ferreira was nursing an injury. Since the latter has now recovered, there was no option but to have the young batter as the impact player.
“The last game he missed out on, he wasn’t very happy because he loves his fielding. It’s not because he’s a poor fielder,” Penny told the broadcaster during the IPL 2026 match between the Sunrisers and Royals.
“Donovan has passed his fitness test. He broke his collarbone in the SA20. He’s a gun fielder. It’s good to have him back on the field. Sadly, Vaibhav misses out,” he added.
Sooryavanshi batting exploits
Before the start of the IPL 2026 edition, one thought Sooryavanshi would find it tough in his second season as the bowlers would come up with their plans to stop him. However, the youngster has unleashed another gear in the 19th edition of the T20 tournament, smashing tried and tested bowlers for fun.
He has already smashed the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood. So far, he has two half-centuries to his name in the IPL 2026 season, with both of these fifties coming off just 15 balls.
Sooryavanshi announced himself on the big stage last year after hitting a 35-ball century against the Gujarat Titans, registering the fastest century by an Indian in the T20 tournament.
