Vaibhav Sooryavanshi admitted he was genuinely stunned after learning that Sachin Tendulkar had praised his sensational IPL 2026 Eliminator innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad, describing it as a moment that filled him with pride and motivation early in his young career. The 15-year-old once again grabbed the spotlight with a brilliant knock of 97 off just 29 deliveries, driving Rajasthan Royals to a commanding 47-run victory over SRH and moving the franchise one step closer to the final.
Sooryavanshi hammered 12 sixes during his explosive stay at the crease and finished just three runs short of Chris Gayle’s all-time benchmark for the fastest century in IPL history. His fearless approach left the cricketing world talking, with Tendulkar himself taking to X to applaud the teenager’s shot selection and aggressive intent. “Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bat swing has been outstanding. What’s even more remarkable is how beautifully he clears his front foot to create room for balls aimed at his legs. This freedom allows him to play the way he does. That innings was nothing short of spectacular!” Tendulkar wrote.
For Sooryavanshi, the recognition from the batting legend became an emotional moment—mainly because he only found out about the post after teammate Dhruv Jurel pointed it out during a conversation connected to the IPL website. Speaking after Tendulkar’s message, the teenager said it felt special to receive such a boost from someone he considers the “God of Cricket.” “It feels really good, sir. It motivates me. You just told me about it; I wasn’t even aware. And of course, everyone knows he is the God of Cricket. If he has tweeted something like that, it’s a huge deal for us that a legend like him has tweeted about us. So, of course, it is a matter of pride,” Sooryavanshi said in the video posted on the IPL website.
Sooryavanshi’s performance versus Hyderabad also reinforced why he is emerging as one of the breakout stars of IPL 2026. The left-handed opener attacked SRH’s bowling from the first over, striking Pat Cummins for an early straight six and then continuing to dismantle the bowling unit in the overs that followed.
He raced to a half-century in only 16 balls and then went on to eclipse Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the most sixes in a single IPL season. With 65 maximums already to his name this year, Sooryavanshi has helped transform Rajasthan Royals into one of the most destructive batting lineups in the tournament.
The knock also propelled him to the top of the Orange Cap standings. Sooryavanshi has now amassed 680 runs in 15 innings, maintaining an average of 45.33, along with an astonishing strike rate of 242.85.
Even with the growing spotlight and the accumulation of records, Sooryavanshi insisted his mindset remains straightforward. “I think a little, not too much. Try and keep things simple. I try to play with good intent and dominate the bowlers. I want to pressurise the bowler. My focus (today) was on contributing for the team, my focus now is how to win the trophy.”
Rajasthan Royals will now take on Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, where a spot in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru is at stake.
