A former England fast bowler has heaped praise on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the teenager’s explosive IPL 2026 form, while also highlighting the courage behind Rajasthan Royals’ decision to back him early. He suggested that if Sooryavanshi were to appear in the next auction, his price could jump sharply thanks to what he has shown on the biggest T20 stage.
Quick facts
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been in sensational form since his IPL debut in 2025.
- Rajasthan Royals bought him for Rs 1.1 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction.
- In IPL 2026, his scores so far: 52, 31, 39, 78, 0, 46, 8, 103, 43.
- He currently leads the run charts with 400 runs in nine innings.
- His average is 44.44, with a strike rate of 238.09 in IPL 2026.
- He became the first player to cross 400 runs in IPL 2026.
Sooryavanshi’s rise has been rapid and hard to ignore. After arriving with plenty of uncertainty around his age and readiness, he has turned that debate into a statement of intent—starting with a century in his debut IPL season and carrying that momentum into IPL 2026.
The Royals’ gamble has paid off in vivid fashion. His batting output this season reads like a blend of control and acceleration: 52, 31, 39, 78, 0, 46, 8, 103, and 43. The variety in those innings underlines why he has looked both dangerous and consistent, not just streaky.
Right now, his numbers are putting him in a class of his own. He tops the run-scoring charts with 400 runs from nine innings, boasting a batting average of 44.44. Even more striking is his strike rate of 238.09, and the milestone matters—he is the first batter to reach the 400-run mark in IPL 2026.
Broad backs RR’s scouting call
Stuart Broad, another former England fast bowler, also weighed in on Rajasthan Royals’ bold approach. While discussing the move, Broad praised the club’s scouting and development structure, pointing to the initial surprise when the teenager was brought into the squad.
Broad recalled that when Rajasthan Royals signed Sooryavanshi at the auction, the player was around 14—or possibly even younger. In his view, it felt unusual to introduce someone so raw into top-level domestic cricket and to do so with such a heavy spotlight already attached.
He added that the pressure of being around a high-performance squad for multiple years can be significant. Broad questioned the logic of it at the time, arguing that without the ability to secure a long-term contract, there was always a risk that the player could explore other options if opportunities opened up—such as moving to Mumbai Indians if a path became available.
Broad also pointed to how the retention and auction process could work in the player’s favour. As he put it, if Sooryavanshi enters the next retention and chooses to go into the auction, the club would likely need to meet the player’s price with “numbers,” implying that his current impact would naturally raise his market value.
With Sooryavanshi continuing to dominate at the top of the scoring charts, Rajasthan Royals’ early faith is no longer a talking point—it is a blueprint for how talent can be identified, nurtured, and then unleashed at the highest level.
