What happened at Mullanpur in the IPL 2026 Eliminator between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad had the feel of something bigger than cricket. A 15-year-old tore through a high-pressure attack spearheaded by Pat Cummins with remarkable composure—and while fans in the stadium were left stunned, a small community in Tajpur, about 1,300 kilometres away, treated it like the next chapter of a story they’d already been watching unfold for years.
Key takeaways
- The Eliminator featured a 15-year-old who produced a rapid 29-ball innings of 97 against Rajasthan Royals.
- In his first 16 deliveries, he struck eight sixes, accelerating the chase/pressure relentlessly.
- Coach-bowler Ravi Prakash Jha has worked with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi since the youngster was five, long before the IPL spotlight.
- Jha revealed age-related doubts early in Sooryavanshi’s pathway, which were addressed through a bone test in Bengaluru.
- Sooryavanshi’s tournament adjustments stood out, including a faster shift to playing the upper cut with confidence.
- In the next chapter, he is set to face Mohammed Siraj again after earlier boundaries in their previous meeting.
From Mullanpur’s magic to Tajpur’s familiarity
During the Eliminator at Mullanpur, the crowd witnessed a fearless batting display that felt almost unreal. The young batter’s assault ended after a blistering 29-ball 97, yet even the manner of the hitting—especially the early surge—left little room for disbelief. He struck eight sixes in his first 16 balls, and the pace of scoring made even seasoned observers struggle to “picture” it in traditional cricket terms.
Across the distance, in Tajpur—a village roughly 12 km from Samastipur in Bihar—locals were far less surprised. Families gathered inside Sooryavanshi’s home, where they had seen him practice and perform in the same vein for years: dispatching deliveries from bowlers older than him with ease. When the innings ended short of a century, the disappointment lasted only briefly. The room then collectively moved on with a simple reassurance in Hindi: “Koi baat nahi, agle match mein aa jayega,” meaning the next chance would come quickly.
Ravi Prakash Jha’s long view on Vaibhav’s rise
Ravi Prakash Jha, now 22, shared that he has been bowling to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi since the wonderkid was five and Jha was 12. He described how the preparation began long before any mainstream attention, with long hours under the sun and routines the villagers have seen repeated for years. Jha also offered context about how early recognition arrived for Sooryavanshi.
One of the key anecdotes Jha mentioned was that Sooryavanshi was picked for Bihar’s U-19 team when he was eight. However, he was not selected because of his age. Jha also pointed to a standout performance in a U-12 match at Patna’s Moinul Haq Stadium, where Sooryavanshi scored 153 runs. In that innings, he struck 15 sixes, and Jha said that seven of the balls could not even be traced because they landed outside the ground.
Jha went on to explain how, even later, there were questions about Sooryavanshi’s age. Three weeks before he was included in Bihar’s Ranji Trophy probables in 2022 as a 12-year-old, allegations were raised. The matter led to a call from the BCCI, which required Sooryavanshi to undergo a bone test in Bengaluru. Jha added that VVS Laxman wanted the speculation to be settled once and for all, emphasizing the scale of what the teenager had already gone through at such a young age.
To describe Sooryavanshi’s mental stability, Jha used a line that framed cricket as a test of temperament, adding the belief that Vaibhav also carries the blessings of Lord Shiva. He suggested that the calmness he shows in high-pressure moments is not accidental—it’s something that has been built over time.
How the tournament changed his game
Jha’s account also tied into analysis shared on YouTube by R Ashwin, where the work Sooryavanshi did during the tournament itself was discussed in detail. He had to deal with sharp short balls aimed at the body from bowlers such as Mohsin Khan, Prafull Hinge, and Mohammed Siraj. Jha said Mohsin even bowled a maiden over, while Hinge dismissed him for a golden duck and Siraj repeatedly beat him from a similar length.
What stood out, however, was how quickly Sooryavanshi made adjustments. Within weeks, he refined how he approached the bouncer and began hitting the upper cut with increasing confidence. Ashwin highlighted that a specific progression stood out: earlier in the season, Sooryavanshi tried to play the same ball straight and was getting top edges, but by the time the Eliminator arrived, he was executing the upper cut over third man for six more cleanly.
Ashwin’s assessment was blunt about what that shift meant at 15. He pointed out that making those changes within a season—while still only a teenager—didn’t look like the work of a “normal” player. The rapid evolution in technique and intent became a central theme of Sooryavanshi’s rise through the tournament.
Dominance versus Prafull Hinge and the “no mercy” lesson
Prafull Hinge, Jha noted, dismissed Sooryavanshi twice in three matches. Yet in the reverse meeting between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, the youngster responded with a brutal spell—smashing four consecutive sixes off Hinge. Jha also recalled that in the Eliminator itself, before he finally fell to Hinge, Sooryavanshi had already taken 28 runs in the over, including three sixes and two boundaries.
Jha further added a personal reflection on how Sooryavanshi’s confidence tends to grow once he finds rhythm. He described a day when he dismissed him twice, only for Sooryavanshi to respond with such aggression that the reaction afterward was disbelief. Jha said the pull shot was struck with such force that it tore the practice net, underlining the raw power and intent he brings once he’s set.
Siraj vs Sooryavanshi: a repeat with different weapons
With another contest on the horizon, the battle between Mohammed Siraj and Sooryavanshi is expected to be one of the most compelling matchups to watch. In their previous meeting, the teenager had already punished Siraj for three impressive boundaries before eventually getting out. This time, the setup remains intriguing: Siraj is set to arrive with pace, hostility, and a clear plan, while Sooryavanshi will be expected to walk in with fearless intent and a bat that, at the moment, appears unable to stay quiet for long.
And in Tajpur, the spectators will likely watch with calm familiarity. For them, the spectacle unfolding on the IPL stage is not a surprise anymore—it’s something they have been seeing build for years, one session at a time.
