Lalit Modi has tipped Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as “the face of Indian cricket in the future,” praising the teenage Rajasthan Royals batter for the impact he’s making with the bat. The 15-year-old has carried his early-season momentum straight from his breakout debut, and in IPL 2026 he sits seventh in the race for the Orange Cap. He’s also Royals’ leading run-getter, having amassed 200 runs in five matches at an average of 40.00, alongside a strike rate of 263.15. Sooryavanshi has already produced two half-centuries this season.
On April 10 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the teenager announced himself with a devastating 78 off just 26 balls. His innings came packed with eight fours and seven sixes, and he struck at 300.00. While the knock was explosive, Modi noted that Sooryavanshi appeared slightly frustrated afterward because he fell short of a century.
“Is this real?” Modi recalls his disbelief at the age
Speaking to Michael Vaughan on Overlap Cricket, Lalit Modi described how he initially struggled to believe Sooryavanshi’s age during the youngster’s first IPL campaign in 2025. The former IPL chief said he thought there was no way a player of that age could be performing at such a level.
“I can tell you that kid is going to go out there and be the face of Indian cricket in the future. Look at the confidence on the kid’s face. 14 years old! My son is 14… I saw this kid hit, and I thought, ‘Not possible, I am dreaming. It’s not possible that this kid is 14. Seriously?’” Modi said. He added that he started checking information on his phone, reaching out to people, and even questioning whether the age details were being misreported. “I am Googling it, I am calling out people, asking, ‘Is this real or is somebody making this up?’ And I am getting these messages, and I tell them I am watching. Not once, not twice, this guy has outperformed everybody,” he concluded.
IPL impact bringing through more youngsters
Modi believes there are plenty of other young and gifted players coming through in India, attributing much of that to the environment created by the IPL. “The good thing is we probably have another 50 of them in our country,” he said, highlighting the league’s role in giving emerging talent a platform. He went on to explain that the IPL has widened the pathway for aspiring cricketers, creating an “arena” where youngsters can dream bigger and aim higher.
How Sooryavanshi’s IPL journey began
Sooryavanshi first drew widespread attention last year after Sanju Samson was ruled out with an injury. He earned his debut against Lucknow Super Giants, stepping into the Rajasthan Royals opening slot. At 14 years and 23 days old, he became the youngest player in IPL history.
In that debut season, he struck 252 runs in seven matches, posting an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 206.55. His return included one half-century and a hundred.
Heading into IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi has formed a strong opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the duo has been central to Rajasthan Royals’ position in the top three. The pair’s consistency has helped the franchise maintain a third-place spot in the points table.
