‘If I stay on the wicket…’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remains grounded after tearing apart defending champions RCB

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued his dream run in Indian Premier League 2026, turning a daunting 202-run chase into a comfortable win for Rajasthan Royals with a breathtaking 78 off just 25 balls at a strike rate of 300.

The 15-year-old dismantled the Royal Challengers Bengaluru attack with fearless intent, taking on seasoned bowlers like Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar without hesitation. His explosive start set the tone for the chase, leaving the defending champions with little chance to recover as Rajasthan chased down the target with two overs to spare.

Sooryavanshi hammered seven sixes and eight fours, racing to a half-century in just 15 balls—once again underlining his remarkable impact this season. With this knock, he surged past teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Orange Cap race, taking his tally to 200 runs from four matches.

In a touching moment after the match, as he walked up to collect the Orange Cap and his Player of the Match award, Sooryavanshi paused to bow and touch the feet of Rajiv Shukla, reflecting his humility despite his meteoric rise.

The youngster has made a habit of taking on the biggest names from ball one—having earlier struck Jasprit Bumrah for a six off his very first delivery faced, and repeating the feat against Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar in this game.

Despite the fireworks, Sooryavanshi kept his approach simple. He said he focuses on replicating what he practices and avoids overcomplicating things at the crease.

“I just try to do what I do in practice and try not to do extra, and back my natural game,” he said.

He also admitted to feeling frustrated when he gets out, stressing his desire to contribute more for the team. “If I stay on the wicket, another 10–20 runs can be made. If we are chasing, we can finish earlier, or if setting a target, we can add more. I feel bad if I get out playing a loose shot because it puts the team at a disadvantage,” he added.