Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stayed true to his natural game in Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2026 opener and it paid off against the Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati on Monday.
After helping the Royals secure a dominant eight-wicket win with a 17-ball 52 at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati, Vaibhav, who turned 15 on Friday, revealed that there was no attempt to overthink or alter his approach despite the big stage.
“The coaches didn’t specifically say that bowlers would attack me - everyone else was already saying that - but they just told me that they back me and that I should stick to my natural game and play according to the situation,” Sooryavanshi said.
That freedom translated into a fearless display at the top, with the youngster taking control of the chase by maximising the powerplay and bringing up a 15-ball fifty in the sixth over.
His innings, featuring four fours and five sixes, was the joint third-fastest fifty in IPL history.
“The plan today was simply to execute well in the powerplay - initially, the wicket felt a bit sticky, but as the ball got older, it started coming onto the bat nicely,” he explained.
While the strokeplay grabbed attention, Sooryavanshi underlined that it was driven by awareness as much as instinct.
“I do think about defence but today our plan was to control the game in the powerplay because in a small chase, that phase is crucial - if the bowling team does well there, the game can tilt their way, but our powerplay went really well,” he added.
At the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal ensured the tempo stayed intact, constantly communicating and helping Sooryavanshi navigate the chase.
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Jaiswal, who was batting at the other end, holds the record for the fastest 50 in the IPL - 13 balls.
He, along with Sooryavanshi, put up 74 in the powerplay as the Royals raced towards their target against CSK.
“(Jaiswal) keeps communicating with me after every ball - he tells me when to take singles, keeps giving me the strike, and encourages me to keep playing my shots if the ball is coming nicely onto the bat,” Sooryavanshi added.
The 15-year-old’s knock even left skipper Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel in awe, with the Rajasthan Royals captain emphasising the importance of allowing the youngster to remain unaffected by outside noise.
“What I tell him is that you’re going to play 14 games and regardless of what goes on in the game, it shouldn’t bother you. What goes around in the media shouldn’t bother you,” Parag said after the match.
“Dhruv and I, when we were sitting there till the fourth over, we were just in awe. Like, what is happening? Like, how is he doing this? But then I’m really happy to have him in my team,” he added.
Rajasthan Royals will face Gujarat Titans in their next IPL 2026 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Saturday.
