Rajasthan Royals’ teenage spark Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shared a playful, off-field moment with Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar soon after their IPL 2026 contest on Friday. The 15-year-old had been the standout performer for RR, blasting an aggressive 78 off just 26 balls to steer his side to victory over RCB. The knock not only flipped the complexion of the match, but also drew huge admiration from supporters and cricket watchers alike.
A clip circulating on social media captured the lighter side of the rivalry. In the video, Vaibhav appears to be chatting with Jitesh Sharma of RCB when Patidar arrives and, in a mischievous gesture, grabs Vaibhav playfully around the neck. The exchange ends with both players laughing, and the moment quickly became a viral talking point beyond the boundary lines.
After the game, Patidar acknowledged that while his team had posted a score above 200, Rajasthan’s batting—especially the impact created by Sooryavanshi—proved to be the difference. He admitted that despite the big total, RCB were ultimately outplayed by RR’s explosive chase.
Sooryavanshi set the tone right from the start of the run chase, taking the pressure to the bowlers and dismantling RCB’s attack with bold, confident strokes. As the hosts moved steadily in front, RR completed the job with a six-wicket win. The teenager’s intent was obvious from ball one: his clean, forceful swings repeatedly sent the ball racing to the boundary, and 15 of his 26 deliveries went for four or six.
Even when he mistimed a ball off Krunal Pandya, the overall damage had already been done. Rajasthan remained firmly in control throughout the chase. They did experience a brief wobble—slipping from 129/1 to 134/4—but the momentum and groundwork laid by Sooryavanshi kept the target within easy reach.
Patidar summed up the feeling after the match, saying he would have loved to see Vaibhav bat more often, because the way the youngster and Yashasvi are playing makes it look as though the wicket is offering very little resistance. He added that Rajasthan’s start in the powerplay, despite losing wickets, was a positive sign as the chase pressure rose toward a 200-plus total. Patidar also highlighted that the difference in this game came from RR’s batting, with Vaibhav standing out in particular. He concluded by pointing to how impressive the team’s recent batting performances have been and noted that there were plenty of takeaways from the match.
