Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi revealed the mantra behind his fearless onslaught against the world’s best bowlers after a Player of the Match performance in Rajasthan Royals’ win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026.
The 15-year-old was once again at his explosive best, racing to a 15-ball fifty before finishing with a breathtaking 78 off just 26 deliveries at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.
Sooryavanshi got off the mark after slapping a four off a yorker from IPL veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the first ball he faced.
Australian quick Josh Hazlewood’s first four balls to the teenager resulted in three boundaries and a towering six, with 19 coming off the over.
Earlier this season, Sooryavanshi had also taken on India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, smashing him for two sixes in an over – including one off the very first ball he faced – during the Royals’ victory over Mumbai Indians.
Never miss an update on Rajasthan Royals - get the latest articles, news, and more by clicking here!
Opening up on the secret behind his success against the world’s best bowlers, Sooryavanshi explained that his approach is rooted in playing each delivery on its merit rather than getting overawed by the bowler’s reputation.
“I try to execute what I practice and back my natural game. Yes, at the back of your mind, you know who the bowler (Bumrah or Hazlewood) is but you play the ball not the bowler,” Sooryavanshi said at the post-match presentation.
The left-handed Sooryavanshi has been in red-hot form this season and currently tops the Orange Cap list after becoming the first player to hit the 200-run mark in just four matches.
Sooryavanshi’s fifty against RCB was his second of the season having also struck a 15-ball half century in RR’s season opener against Chennai Super Kings.
Both his half centuries this season came in just 15 balls, making them joint-third fastest fifties in IPL history. He also leads the six-hitting charts with 18 maximums and boasts the best strike rate of 266.66 in the campaign.
“He is young, but he is batting very well and very maturely,” Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, said. “We never feel that somebody is trashing us. If a 15-year-old can bat like this, whether he is a 25-year-old or 15-year-old, it’s part of T20 cricket.
“The way he is hitting shots - he is not slogging, he is playing proper cricket shots. For a 15-year-old, he is too mature. He deserves all the credit for the way he is batting,” Bhuvneshwar added.
Regardless of his blistering start to the season and consistent returns at the top, Sooryavanshi also admitted that his appetite for runs remains undiminished as he reflected on getting dismissed for 78 against RCB.
“My thinking is that had I been around, I could have scored 20 more runs which would be beneficial for the team,” he said.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the Rajasthan Royals will take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next IPL match on Monday.
The SRH vs RR match will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
