Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag heaped praise on 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the youngster played a starring role in RR’s six-wicket triumph over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 on Friday. Chasing 202, Sooryavanshi struck 78 from just 26 balls, while Dhruv Jurel finished unbeaten on 81 to steer Rajasthan to the target with 18 overs to spare. Sooryavanshi’s whirlwind knock included eight fours and seven sixes, and his 200 runs across four matches also lifted him to the top of the Orange Cap standings in IPL 2026.
At the post-match presentation, Parag described Sooryavanshi as a cheerful, fun-loving presence in the dressing room. The captain said the teenager enjoys food and going out, and that the team tries to accommodate those preferences as long as he continues to bat in the same fearless style. Parag also added that the youngster is still making space for youthful, “kiddish” habits while staying focused on his cricket.
“I think everyone loves him. Everyone loves having him around. He likes eating stuff. He likes going out and stuff like that. So we make sure we make that available for him. And he’s a 16-year-old kid, 15-year-old, whatever it is. Yeah, doing kiddish things. And he’s happy with that. He likes a lot of batting. So we make sure that is presented to him. And if he keeps on batting like that, I think whatever he wants,” Parag said.
Turning to the contest itself, Parag felt Rajasthan were far sharper than they have been in previous visits to the venue, highlighting their improved bowling and an energetic start. He believed RCB’s 201-run total was roughly 20 runs beyond what was needed, and argued that RR should have tightened the screws and limited Bengaluru to around the 170 mark. Parag also pointed out that Rajasthan allowed batters too much freedom, but stressed that the franchise had prepared properly for local conditions in Guwahati and Jaipur.
He further suggested that RR’s goal is to adjust quickly to varying pitch behaviours, and expects even better results when they get batting-friendly surfaces. “Keeping previous years in mind, we were not up to the mark (at this venue) but today was very clinical. The way we bowled, the way we started, we would have taken 200 but still felt 20 above par. Should have restricted them to 170ish. This is a wicket where not a lot of sixes are hit down the ground off the spinners. We gave room and played into the batter’s hands. We put enough prep in Guwahati and Jaipur. We knew what the black soil does here,” Parag said.
Parag added that the team was ready for any home fixture situation, even if it didn’t feel like one on the day. He said Rajasthan’s planning for the season has been built around assessing conditions and adapting accordingly, and believes the side will only grow more dangerous once they get wickets that suit batting. “We were well prepared for any home game. Did not feel like a home game, but we were prepared. Before the start of the season, we wanted to be a team that assesses and adapts well. Having played on some sticky pitches, once we get a belter, we will do even well,” he added.
Rajasthan Royals’ win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru extended their unbeaten run to four successive victories and simultaneously dealt Bengaluru their first defeat of the season. In the chase of 202, the 108-run partnership between Sooryavanshi and Jurel laid the foundation, while Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten on 24 as RR completed the job in 18 overs.
Earlier, RCB had set the stage with 201/8, driven by captain Rajat Patidar’s 63 and a late cameo from Venkatesh Iyer. Even though Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi provided early breakthroughs, Bengaluru managed to push past the 200 mark, but it ultimately wasn’t enough against RR’s dominant batting display.
