Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is only 15, but the Rajasthan Royals opener is already turning heads across IPL circles—and not just as a feel-good story. In IPL 2026, the left-handed batter has piled up 404 runs in 10 matches, and the numbers have naturally sparked a bigger question: could his rapid rise force selectors to consider him for India’s upcoming T20I assignments against Ireland and England later this year? The hype received another boost when Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins publicly singled him out, describing Sooryavanshi as his “new favourite player,” a rare compliment that underlines how quickly the teenager has settled into the top level.
That growing profile was on full display at an event where Kapil Dev—an icon of India’s 1983 World Cup triumph—was the main attraction. When asked to share his thoughts on the opening batter and on how T20 cricket keeps evolving day by day, the legendary all-rounder chose to step carefully. Rather than offer a definitive verdict, Kapil Dev said he does not have the authority to comment because he does not track the game continuously and mainly watches the matches on television. He then suggested that Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri would be better placed to give more informed opinions on the current landscape.
“I don’t know because I haven’t seen that. I am like you people. Whatever you put on TV, I see, and I try to make sense out of that. I watch cricket at home on TV, and then giving judgment is not correct,” Kapil Dev said to reporters on Sunday. He added, “People who talk and see everybody, they are better. Like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, or Harsha Bhogle, they can make more sense than I can.”
Sooryavanshi lighting up IPL 2026
Before the IPL 2026 season started, there were plenty of expectations that the teenager might experience the so-called “second-season blues.” Instead, the opposite has happened. Sooryavanshi has shown little hesitation against proven pace and big-match experience, taking on hitters such as Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins with intent — and, at times, with a sense of ease that makes the challenge look smaller than it is. In fact, he has already reached a milestone of one hundred and two fifties in the tournament.
One of those standout knocks came against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with his century arriving in just 36 balls. That effort helped him register the second-fastest ton by an Indian in IPL 2026. The rapid accumulation of runs is not new, either: Sooryavanshi announced himself on the big stage last year with a 35-ball century against the Gujarat Titans. Since then, he has kept finding ways to score across formats—building momentum in U19 cricket and culminating in a memorable U19 World Cup final, where he struck 175 runs off 80 balls against England.
With his consistency and fearless approach, Sooryavanshi has become one of the key reasons behind the Rajasthan Royals’ strong showing in IPL 2026. The Riyan Parag-led side currently sits fourth in the points table, and the next challenge for the Royals will come on Saturday, May 9, when they face the Gujarat Titans.
