Teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi kept Rajasthan Royals alive in the IPL 2026 playoff race with a match-winning innings against Lucknow Super Giants, chasing down a target of 221 in a must-win fixture after three consecutive defeats.
The 15-year-old from Bihar scored 93 off 38 balls with 10 sixes, telling head coach Kumar Sangakkara before batting that the total was manageable on the wicket. He had already become the Indian batter with the most sixes in a single IPL season, surpassing Abhishek Sharma’s previous mark of 42 maximums earlier in the campaign.
Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach has drawn comparisons to the sport’s most explosive T20 openers. He helped India win the 2026 Under-19 World Cup before carrying that form into the IPL, where he has regularly cleared the ropes in the powerplay overs.
The victory preserved Rajasthan’s hold on fourth place in the standings with 14 points and a net run rate of plus 0.083, keeping their qualification path intact heading into a final league match against Mumbai Indians on May 24.
Sangakkara described Sooryavanshi as a special player rather than a development project, reflecting the teenager’s rapid integration into Rajasthan’s senior lineup. His six-hitting has drawn capacity crowds to Jaipur and away venues throughout the latter half of the league stage.
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Sources:
https://www.outlookindia.com/sports