Lalit Modi, the former chairman of the IPL, has lavished praise on Rajasthan Royals teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, calling him the most inspired acquisition in the league’s history. What began as a high-risk gamble at the mega auction has quickly evolved into one of the tournament’s most eye-catching success stories.
Rajasthan Royals bought Sooryavanshi for Rs 1.1 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, and in doing so he became the youngest player ever to be signed in IPL history at just 13 years old. Modi’s reaction followed another breathtaking performance from the young batter.
Quick facts
- Lalit Modi hailed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the “best buy” in IPL history.
- RR signed Sooryavanshi for Rs 1.1 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction at age 13.
- In the IPL 2026 Eliminator vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sooryavanshi made 97 off 29 balls.
- That knock helped Rajasthan Royals win by 47 runs and reach Qualifier 2.
- He is currently on 680 runs in 15 matches this season and leads the Orange Cap standings.
- Sooryavanshi has struck 65 sixes this season, the most by any batter in IPL history.
- He also equalled Chris Gayle’s mark for IPL innings with 10+ sixes.
- He became the first player to score 600 runs in a T20 tournament before turning 16.
After yet another standout showing, Modi took to X and wrote: “Best buy of any player in history @Vaibhavsooryava by @rajasthanroyals.” The timing was notable, coming after Sooryavanshi’s impact in a high-pressure match for Rajasthan.
Eliminator heroics in New Chandigarh
Sooryavanshi’s latest fireworks arrived during the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad in New Chandigarh. The 15-year-old produced a fearless, high-voltage knock of 97 off just 29 deliveries, dismantling the SRH bowling attack and carrying RR to a decisive 47-run win.
With the victory, Rajasthan Royals secured a place in Qualifier 2, while Sooryavanshi’s innings also earned him the Player of the Match award. The dominance didn’t stop there—his form propelled him to the summit of the Orange Cap race.
Across the season, Sooryavanshi has now piled up 680 runs in 15 matches, reinforcing the extraordinary nature of his campaign. Franchise cricket has seen many teenagers arrive with promise, but this run of production has been among the most ruthless ever for someone so young.
Records tumble again
During the Eliminator, the left-handed opener shattered multiple milestones. He passed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s IPL 2023 mark of 626 runs to set the highest-ever run total by an uncapped player in a single IPL season.
He also rewrote the six-hitting record books. With 65 sixes this season, Sooryavanshi now holds the most sixes by any batter in IPL history. During his innings against Hyderabad, he went beyond Chris Gayle’s longstanding benchmark and needed only 15 balls to achieve the milestone.
That 65-six tally is also the highest number of sixes recorded by any player in a T20 tournament or series. It’s the kind of volume that underlines both the power and the consistency of his hitting across conditions.
On top of that, Sooryavanshi matched Gayle’s record for the most IPL innings featuring 10 or more sixes. His first arrival at the 10-sixes mark earlier in the tournament came during his maiden IPL century against Gujarat Titans, when he smashed 101 off 38 balls.
And in a final marker of how quickly he has accelerated, he became the first player to reach 600 runs in a T20 tournament before turning 16—an achievement that places his season among the most remarkable by any batter in franchise history.
