Just the other day, Jasprit Bumrah was the man under the microscope. On Friday, it was Josh Hazlewood who found himself facing a similar challenge from Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, with the 15-year-old making a clear statement about his approach—he “plays the ball” and not “the bowler.”
Sooryavanshi struck 78 off 26 deliveries as Rajasthan Royals successfully hunted down Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 201, finishing the chase with two overs to spare. His knock also propelled him to the summit of the IPL 2026 Orange Cap standings, collecting 200 runs across four matches.
At the post-match presentation following RR’s win, Sooryavanshi explained that he trusts his natural game and sticks closely to what he works on in practice, rather than trying to manufacture something unusual. He said his mindset is to read the delivery and react to the ball itself, not to get distracted by who is bowling.
“I try to execute what I practice and stick to my natural game. Yes, at the back of your mind you know who the bowler is—whether it’s Bumrah or Hazlewood—but you play the ball, not the bowler,” Sooryavanshi said. In the process, he punished Hazlewood with three boundaries and a six in four consecutive balls.
After drawing attention early in his career, Sooryavanshi stressed that he keeps his focus locked in, with support from his father Sanjiv and Rajasthan’s support staff member Romi Bhinder.
“They always tell me that it is a long journey and my focus should only and only be on the game,” he added.
The youngster also admitted he wasn’t fully satisfied with his dismissal at 78, believing he could have done more to help the team score further.
“My thinking is that if I was there, I could have added 20 more runs, which would be beneficial for the team,” Sooryavanshi said at the ceremony.
Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets, keeping their unbeaten run intact at four matches and handing RCB their first defeat of the season.
In the chase, RR were driven by Sooryavanshi’s 78 and an unbeaten 81 from Dhruv Jurel. The pair put on 108 runs together, while Ravindra Jadeja finished not out on 24 as Rajasthan completed the target in 18 overs.
Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted 201 for 8. Captain Rajat Patidar top-scored with 63, with Venkatesh Iyer providing late impetus. Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi struck early to give RR a foothold, but despite crossing the 200-run mark, RCB fell short against Rajasthan’s batting.
