Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a stellar IPL 2026 season, earning the Orange Cap for the most runs for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Sooryavanshi, who is only 15 years old, made 776 runs in 16 games with a strike rate of 237.30, including one century and five fifties.
He also broke Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes (59) in a single IPL edition and hit 72 sixes in the IPL 2026. He also won the Emerging Player of the IPL 2026 and the Most Valuable Player of the Season, along with the Orange Cap and Super Striker of the season.
Speaking to the IPL after the award ceremony, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi expressed aspirations to play for India, and for a very long time, after a season that transformed him into one of cricket’s brightest young stars.
“I also want to represent India for a long time and achieve a lot for myself, my family, and my team. Whether it’s domestic cricket, the IPL, or India, I will always try to contribute to the team and stay focused,” Sooryavanshi told IPL in a video.
Sooryavanshi broke another record by winning the Orange Cap. He easily surpassed Sudharsan's record as the youngest player to win the prize at the age of 15 years and 65 days.
“I had noted on my phone that I wanted to score 700 runs in this IPL. It’s still there. After every match, I would write my score against the team I played. That was a personal goal I achieved, but what I had hoped to achieve as a team didn’t happen. Hopefully, next year we can resolve that,” Sooryavanshi added.
For Sooryavanshi, the Orange Cap was once just a distant dream.
“When I used to watch matches on TV, I saw all these huge players don the Orange Cap. I always thought I should at least be able to touch it once and see how it feels. But, by God’s Grace, it’s on my head now, and I’m grateful for it,” he stated.
Sooryavanshi will be seen in action for India A when they visit Sri Lanka for a one-day tri-series also involving Afghanistan A in June.
