Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aged 15, was sent back for a golden duck as the Rajasthan Royals suffered a 57-run defeat against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. The match also featured debutant contributions, with Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain leaving an immediate mark for the Sunrisers.
The teenager has been one of the standout stories of the ongoing T20 season, hitting two half-centuries off just 15 balls apiece, including a similar burst in the previous game. Those quick knocks had been central to Rajasthan’s recent run of four wins.
Yet against SRH, Sooryavanshi found himself out of sorts against pacer Hinge. On his IPL debut, Hinge struck with 4 wickets, delivering the breakthroughs that swung the contest away from Rajasthan.
It was Sooryavanshi’s dismissal that set the tone. As Rajasthan began their chase, the opener faced a rising ball from Hinge and top-edged it, with the ball sailing high into the air. Salil Arora, stationed behind the stumps, completed the catch to send the youngster back early.
Sooryavanshi looked up after making contact, then walked away as the chase continued to lose momentum. The early setback intensified pressure on Rajasthan’s batting group.
With the second innings underway, Sooryavanshi returned as an impact player. For the second consecutive match, Rajasthan Royals opted to keep him out of the fielding side and limited his role to batting only, a move that drew considerable attention.
It has since become clear that the arrangement did not sit well with the youngster initially. During Hyderabad’s innings, Rajasthan’s assistant coach Trevor Penny explained the thinking behind the selection.
Penny said Sooryavanshi was unhappy with the decision because he prefers to play a full role, including in the field. “The last game he missed out on, he wasn’t very happy because he loves his fielding. It’s not because he’s a poor fielder,” Penny said during the IPL 2026 encounter between the Sunrisers and Royals, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Penny added that changes in the team combination affected how Sooryavanshi was deployed. Donovan Ferreira, he said, had recovered from his injury and passed his fitness test, which altered the balance in the playing XI.
“Donovan has passed his fitness test. He broke his collarbone in the SA20. He’s a gun fielder. It’s good to have him back on the field. Sadly, Vaibhav misses out,” Penny added.
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