NEW DELHI: Even with one of the most talked-about knocks of the IPL 2026 playoffs, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi feels Rajasthan Royals’ campaign ended because of a crucial misstep on his part. The Royals were eliminated in Qualifier 2 after Gujarat Titans successfully chased down Rajasthan’s 214-run target with eight balls left.
Sooryavanshi struck a superb 96 and, in the aftermath, admitted Rajasthan might have been short by roughly 10 to 12 runs. Speaking about the chase and what went wrong, the 15-year-old said, “There was a lot to learn from the last match. I feel we fell about 10–12 runs short. But even then, I believe I should have rotated the strike less during the middle overs and kept more of the strike to myself, because it was getting a bit tough for the new batters.”
He pointed out that conditions made the middle overs especially challenging, with the pitch turning harder to bat on. That, in his view, increased the pressure on batters arriving at the crease later in the innings.
Looking back, Sooryavanshi also felt he should have faced more balls rather than handing the advantage of strike to incoming batters.
“The wicket wasn’t great at that time; it was quite sticky. So, I feel I made a mistake there by letting the new batters take more of the strike. I should have stayed on strike longer during that period,” he added.
While Rajasthan fell short of reaching the title match, Sooryavanshi’s overall season stood out for its quality and impact. The Bihar-born youngster finished IPL 2026 as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, compiling 776 runs at an incredible strike rate of 237.30.
His ability to openly dissect his own performance and take ownership of the defeat has earned widespread praise, underscoring a maturity that is uncommon in a player of his age. Even after a campaign filled with record-breaking numbers, Sooryavanshi appeared more focused on the lessons he can carry into the future than on personal milestones.
