GUWAHATI: Talk surrounding Rajasthan Royals’ explosive start this season has repeatedly circled around a teenage prodigy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Ahead of the franchise’s third and final home fixture of the campaign in Guwahati—often viewed as a “second home ground” for them—there was little change in the storyline, even with defending champions Rajasthan Royals’ upcoming opponents, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), arriving in the city for the first time. RCB will be led by the confidence of their captain, Virat Kohli, who has been in fine touch.
On Thursday, Royals’ pace bowling coach Shane Bond delivered high praise for the 15-year-old phenom. Bond, speaking about the youngster’s impact, said, “He’s incredible.” The former New Zealand fast bowler also drew a comparison to his own family, adding that while he has a 17-year-old son, Vaibhav’s current output and execution stand out as exceptional. Bond further pointed to the way the teenager has been developing his craft, noting, “It’s not just reckless hitting—he’s selecting the right balls and you can see growth. There’s a maturity in his batting.”
Sooryavanshi’s early-season flamboyance has naturally translated into innings that can shift matches, but the Royals’ top-order rhythm has not relied on one player alone. Opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal has provided steady quality as well, combining boundary threat with calm judgement. His performances have helped him sit at the top of the Orange Cap standings, collecting 170 runs across three games. Those runs include two half-centuries.
With the batting unit—largely powered by the openers’ aggressive starts—creating strong foundations, Rajasthan have built a platform for results. Yet their bowling has also played its part, with the attack doing its job close to perfection. Still, on Friday, Rajasthan will face a team in comparably good form, which could test how complete their dominance truly is.
RCB, the defending champions, have looked like they have carried momentum into this season. After winning their first two matches comfortably, they appear to have picked up where they finished last year. With both batting and bowling departments clicking together, the Rajat Patidar-led side will be eager to disrupt the Royals’ momentum before the team shifts focus to its Jaipur home fixtures.
While RCB’s top order has been producing consistently, Devdutt Padikkal has particularly kept the spotlight on recent outings. In his last two games, he has scored well-timed, beautifully paced half-centuries, underlining how the Bengaluru batting line-up is balancing flair with control.
Key numbers ahead of RR vs RCB
- 4: Rajasthan Royals’ opponents have recorded four ten-wicket victories this season, the highest total in the IPL. Two of those have come against Rajasthan—once in Bengaluru in 2010 and again at the Wankhede in 2021.
- 113: Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 113 off 72 balls in Jaipur on April 6, 2024, which remains the top individual score in matches between Rajasthan Royals and RCB.
