Gujarat Titans (GT) ace pacer Kagiso Rabada was asked about Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and the Proteas cricketer played down the hype around the youngster and called him just another batter.

Sooryavanshi has been in top form in the ongoing IPL 2026. He has scored 440 runs in 11 games in IPL 2026, with one century and two fifties at a strike rate of 236.55. He has taken attacks on all of the premier pacers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.

Following a meeting with Sooryavanshi in Jaipur this weekend, South African fast bowler Rabada commented on what makes Sooryavanshi such a remarkable talent, having watched it firsthand and being slogged for a couple of sixes despite being in some of his finest T20 bowling form of his career.

“He has got really fast hands, and he is fearless at the moment. There is not an ounce of fear in his body, and that’s how it normally is when you are young. It really fascinates me. It is great to see in the game of cricket, in the IPL, that the game is well and truly alive,” Rabada said in an interaction with the PTI.

While Rabada might find it fascinating to witness such batting from a 15-year-old, some of his fast-bowling peers, most notably his teammate Mohammed Siraj of the Gujarat Titans, might use a different adjective. In Jaipur, Siraj defeated Sooryavanshi, dismissing him for 36(16) and roaring with joy.

“Who else is going to come in and make headlines of that nature? What I think is that he is just another batter, and I try to get the better of him. It’s a little bit of flair and an X-factor player, someone drawing eyes to the game. Fast hands and no fear—that's one hell of a combination,” Rabada added.

Rabada is also having an excellent time with the ball in IPL 2026, with 21 wickets to his name at an economy of 9.15 and best bowling figures of 3-25. Rabada will next be in action when GT travels to Kolkata to take on KKR on May 16.

(PTI inputs)