Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has taken the cricket world by storm in a short stretch at the top level. With a couple of IPL centuries to his name, he has also dismissed some of the sport’s most respected bowling threats with striking confidence. Even on the international age-group stage, he has already added a big moment to his tally—producing a century in the U19 World Cup final earlier this year to help secure major silverware.
There’s been plenty of talk about Sooryavanshi’s clean, forceful strokeplay—his raw power and the fearless way he goes after elite bowlers rather than waiting for deliveries. In that same spirit, he has taken aim at players who carry reputations of cricketing royalty. Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and, most recently, Kagiso Rabada are among the names Sooryavanshi has measured up to and sent into the stands.
Rabada on what makes Sooryavanshi different
After meeting Sooryavanshi in Jaipur this weekend, Rabada shared what stood out from seeing him up close. The South African quick had a ringside view of Sooryavanshi’s batting impact, including being hit for a couple of sixes while the fast bowler was in what Rabada described as some of the best T20 form of his career.
“He has got really fast hands, and he is fearless at the moment. There is not an ounce of fear in his body, and that’s how it normally is when you are young,” Rabada said. “It really fascinates me. It is great to see in the game of cricket, in the IPL, that the game is well and truly alive.”
Quick facts
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already scored a couple of IPL centuries.
- He made a century in this year’s U19 World Cup final and helped win major silverware.
- Kagiso Rabada met Sooryavanshi in Jaipur and watched him clear the ropes with two sixes.
- Rabada highlighted Sooryavanshi’s “fast hands” and “no fear”.
- Mohammed Siraj dismissed Sooryavanshi for 36 off 16 balls in Jaipur.
- Kyle Jamieson had also troubled Sooryavanshi earlier with a fiery yorker.
- Rabada said Sooryavanshi draws eyes to the game, calling him an “X-factor” batter.
Even with the hype around a 15-year-old’s presence in the spotlight, Rabada’s reaction wasn’t just amazement—it was admiration for the way the young batter changes the tempo of a contest. To him, Sooryavanshi’s style is proof that T20 cricket remains energetic and alive, particularly in leagues like the IPL where pressure is constant and the margins are thin.
“Who else is going to make headlines?”
Not everyone who bowls at Sooryavanshi shares Rabada’s sense of wonder. Gujarat Titans teammate Mohammed Siraj, for instance, got the better of him in Jaipur, striking at the right time to dismiss him for 36 off 16 balls. Siraj followed it up with a roaring celebration, a reminder that even a player capable of game-breaking innings still has nights where bowlers find answers.
Siraj wasn’t the first fast bowler to enjoy that feeling. Kyle Jamieson, the New Zealand speedster, had also pushed himself into Sooryavanshi’s space in an earlier match by troubling the teenager with a fiery yorker. Those confrontations underline the same theme: when a batter is as attacking as Sooryavanshi, the battle becomes less about survival and more about who can seize the initiative.
When asked about facing him, Rabada suggested that despite the frenzy surrounding Sooryavanshi, the approach is still straightforward for a bowler. “Who else is going to come in and make headlines of that nature? What I think is that he is just another batter, and I try to get the better of him,” Rabada said.
Rabada also framed Sooryavanshi’s threat through the lens of his own experience. As someone who has been part of heated matchups against the likes of David Warner and Virat Kohli, he understands that not every wicket carries the same value. Bringing down a high-impact batter can shift momentum instantly in T20 cricket.
In closing, Rabada described the appeal of Sooryavanshi’s game as a blend of flair and unpredictability. “It’s a little bit of flair, and X-factor player, someone drawing eyes to the game. Fast hands and no fear, that’s one hell of a combination,” he concluded. He added that his own form in the IPL has also been among his best since his Purple Cap-winning season in 2020—back when Sooryavanshi was still only nine years old.
