Rajasthan Royals’ decision to buy 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the IPL 2025 auction for Rs 1.1 crore initially looked like a gamble. RR’s Director of Cricket, Zubin Bharucha, has since clarified that the franchise had even earmarked as much as Rs 10 crore specifically for Sooryavanshi. Bharucha also said his early impressions of the youngster left him genuinely impressed, and Sooryavanshi has now backed that confidence with performances in IPL 2026.
Sooryavanshi’s batting output in IPL 2026 so far reads 52, 31, 39, 78, 0, 46, 8, 103 and 43. With 400 runs in nine innings, he currently tops the run charts, averaging 44.44 while striking at 238.09. He has also become the first batter in IPL 2026 to reach the 400-run milestone.
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad offered a thoughtful take on RR’s approach while praising their scouting and development model. Speaking on the For the Love of Cricket podcast with Jos Buttler, Broad recalled the moment RR signed Sooryavanshi at the auction when the youngster was reportedly 14, or possibly even 13, and admitted it struck him as unusual for a top-level domestic setup to bring in someone so young. Broad highlighted the pressure that comes with being around a senior squad for years and questioned how a club plans for long-term commitments with a player at that age. He suggested that even if the player is in the system, there is no guarantee he stays for the long haul, noting that a young talent could still explore options such as moving to another franchise if the opportunity arises.
Buttler, who has moved on from his time with Rajasthan and is currently representing Gujarat Titans, was especially enthusiastic about Sooryavanshi’s ability to attack quality bowlers from ball one. He pointed out that the batter has been hitting names like Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins for early sixes, stressing that such fearless intent at just 15 is rare. Buttler compared the mindset to the peak aggression of Chris Gayle and Virender Sehwag, while noting that those legends were much older when they were playing with that kind of freedom. According to Buttler, Sooryavanshi’s style is not occasional—it is consistent, with him repeatedly punishing bowlers across the park, making him one of the most compelling players to watch when Rajasthan take the field.
Buttler also referenced Sooryavanshi’s ability to bounce back within matchups. He said that the batter had been dismissed on the first ball against Sunrisers in their previous game, with that dismissal reflecting the risk that comes with playing with such bravery. Yet Buttler added that in the next outing, Sooryavanshi responded by scoring a hundred against the same opposition—reinforcing how impactful and unpredictable he has been.
