Sooryavanshi slammed 93 off 38 balls to script RR's crucial win over LSG.
Chasing 221 to win, the 15-year-old took the LSG bowling attack to cleaners, smashing 93 runs off 38 balls with 7 fours and 10 sixes. He added 105 runs for the second wicket Dhruv Jurel, who remained unbeaten on 53 off 38 balls to propel RR over the line with five deliveries to spare.
After receiving the Player-of-the-Match accolade, Sooryavanshi opened up on his conscious effort to take time at the crease. The southpaw focused on building a steady innings rather than rushing early, knowing he can rely on his power-hitting to accelerate the scoring later on.
“I was just thinking because I was sitting outside during the bowling innings and the wicket looked good. I was thinking that today I shouldn’t rush too much at the start, I should take some time and if I bat for a longer period, it’s going to help the batter at the other end as well,” Sooryavanshi said at the post-match presentation.
“(On starting slowly but still reaching fifty quickly) That was the mindset. I know I can hit two or three boundaries or sixes anytime, so I can take a little more time and not rush too much and try to take the game till the end,” he added.
Despite being in the spotlight at a remarkably young age, Sooryavanshi mentioned that he stays grounded by completely avoiding newspapers and media noise. He views this success as just the beginning of a long career and keeps his focus solely on improving his game.
“(On dealing with all the attention and praise at a young age) Nothing much. I don’t really see too much, I don’t read newspapers and all, so I don’t think too much about it. I just think that this is only the start. If my career becomes long and I play for a long time, people will say many more things. My focus should just remain on the game and I should complete my journey,” he stated.
Reflecting on his ‘A’ gesture upon reaching the half-century, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi revealed that his celebrations are completely unplanned as he simply likes trying out new things on the field spontaneously.
“(On his celebration) Sir, I don’t know. I just do something new every match. I don’t really plan it. There’s no meaning behind it. Even the celebration I did in the last match had no meaning. I just keep trying new things,” he remarked.
With this win, the Royals kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive and will face Mumbai Indians in the last league match at Wankhede Stadium on May 24.
Sooryavanshi emphasized focusing on playing good cricket and winning against MI, regardless of previous ups and downs in the tournament.
“(On waiting for the final game and the team’s mindset) Nothing much. Our focus is just that we should enjoy ourselves. In the next game also we shouldn’t focus too much on off-field things. Everyone should focus on the game and play with enjoyment, the way we’ve been doing throughout the tournament. There have been ups and downs in the tournament, but our focus is to play good cricket and win games, that’s all,” he concluded.