Vaibhav Sooryavanshi revealed that his fearless batting stems from his father’s invaluable lesson that hundreds or double hundreds don’t matter if the team doesn’t win. Sooryavanshi has redefined fearless batting with an approach rarely seen at this level, especially from someone so young.
The 15-year-old batter from Bihar has lit up the IPL 2026 for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 680 runs in 15 games with one century and four fifties with a strike rate of 242.85. He holds the Orange Cap for most runs, and recently broke Chris Gayle’s record of most sixes (59) in an IPL season, hitting 65 sixes in IPL 2026 alone.
He hammered 97 in 29 balls with 12 sixes and 5 fours as he helped RR to 243/8 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2026 Eliminator. SRH could only manage 196 runs and lost the game by 47 runs.
The few nervous 90s Sooryavanshi has recorded this season demonstrates his lack of interest in slowing down for personal milestones. His goal is still to attack, identify boundaries, and put pressure on the opposition even as he approaches 100.
Sooryavanshi disclosed that his father's lessons from his early years have influenced his batting style, with an emphasis on the team's outcome rather than individual stats.
"Since childhood, my father has always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred, or even a triple hundred, but the team does not win because of it, then those runs hold no value. They may only be for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team. Cricket, in the end, is a team game. So, if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if we still do not win despite me scoring a century, then those 80 mean more to me than the hundred," Sooryavanshi said on JioStar.
Even though Sooryavanshi has already broken several records this season, he made it apparent that his main goal is still to help the team advance farther in the competition rather than pursuing achievements for their own sake.
"The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will get to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So, it benefits both me personally and the team as well,” he added.
Rajasthan Royals will now face Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 2 on May 29, 2026, in New Chandigarh. The winner of this match will face RCB in the final of IPL 2026 on May 31.
“We are looking to go in with a good mindset and positive intent and continue doing what the whole team has done throughout the tournament. We should continue to enjoy the game, which we always do, not take the pressure of a big match, and back our strengths. As a team and as a unit, we want to reach the finals and hopefully lift the trophy,” he added.
(Jiostar inputs)
