Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may not have reached a half-century on Tuesday for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings, but his opening burst in the Powerplay turned the chase into chaos for Shreyas Iyer\u2019s side. In just 16 balls, the youngster struck 43 runs, smashing five maximums and three boundaries to leave Punjab\u2019s bowlers struggling for rhythm from the very first overs. Three of those sixes came in the \u201chelicopter\u201d style made synonymous with former India captain MS Dhoni, and the comparisons were immediate\u2014one of Sooryavanshi\u2019s helicopter hits landed against Arshdeep Singh, while the other two were sent sailing over the fence against Lockie Ferguson.<\/p>\n
Moments like these have drawn instant fan reactions, with Rajasthan Royals highlighting the shot repeatedly after the fireworks. The visual references to the helicopter technique only grew stronger as Sooryavanshi kept finding that same aggressive line and lofted power early in the innings, giving his team the kind of start that forces field settings to change almost immediately.<\/p>\n
Rajasthan Royals also posted the impact of his batting during the chase, with the franchise pointing to how Sooryavanshi\u2019s early hitting set the tone in the Punjab Kings clash in IPL 2026. The display underlined his ability to accelerate quickly and punish bowlers before they can settle into their lengths.<\/p>\n
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan then added his own endorsement of the teenager\u2019s rise. Dhawan said he was \u201cextremely impressed\u201d by the fearless manner in which Sooryavanshi has taken on high-speed bowling, suggesting that the pathway to international cricket could open soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cVaibhav Sooryavanshi is doing extremely well. I am very impressed by him. The way he is taking on bowlers easily when they are bowling at 145 kmph is fantastic, and the day is not far when he debuts for India,\u201d Dhawan said.<\/p>\n
Dhawan\u2019s comments reflected the broader sense around Sooryavanshi\u2019s campaign so far in IPL 2026. At just 15 years old, he has already gone after some of the strongest bowling attacks in the competition, taking on names such as Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood, while maintaining a calmness and confidence that many seasoned players struggle to match.<\/p>\n
After his sharp 43 off 16 balls against Punjab Kings, Sooryavanshi moved ahead of Abhishek Sharma to become the leading run-getter of the season. His current tally stands at 400 runs from 168 deliveries, which comes at a strike rate of 238.09. He also reached the 400-run mark in only 167 balls, making him the fastest batter to cross 400 in a single IPL season.<\/p>\n
Looking beyond franchise cricket, Dhawan also backed the experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli with the ODI World Cup approaching. He stressed that players with big-match exposure will be crucial in a tournament that comes only a year after the current cycle.<\/p>\n
\u201cRohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are both experienced, and you need experience going into the ODI World Cup, which is only a year away,\u201d Dhawan said.<\/p>\n
When asked about his favourite IPL team, Dhawan made it clear he supports Punjab Kings. He noted that his past involvement with the franchise gives him extra reason to back them, and he also highlighted Shreyas Iyer\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am supporting Punjab Kings as I have played with them before. The future of Shreyas Iyer is bright. The way he is leading Punjab is amazing,\u201d Dhawan added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may not have reached a half-century on Tuesday for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings, but his opening burst in the Powerplay turned the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 5 Sixes vs PBKS Powerplay","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi\u2019s 5 sixes in the Powerplay vs PBKS sparked Dhoni-style buzz as Rajasthan Royals turned the chase into early chaos.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n