Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stuns Bumrah, Hazlewood and the rest to rule IPL 2026

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to make headlines with his audacious batting in the ongoing IPL 2026. The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener struck another blistering half-century on Friday night (April 10) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to keep his team undefeated.

At the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, the match was delayed by rain. Later, RR captain Riyan Parag won the toss and chose to field first. RCB recovered from 94/6 to post 201/8 in 20 overs. And, RR overhauled the defending champions’ total with two overs to spare.

Taking on Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood

Once again, as RR’s run chase began, all eyes were on Sooryavanshi and his opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal. Though Jaiswal fell cheaply, for 13 off eight that included two sixes, Sooryavanshi did not disappoint the fans at the stadium and millions watching on TV and online.

Also read: Board exams can wait! 15-year-old Sooryavanshi smashes RCB instead

The first ball he faced, from the seasoned paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sooryavanshi hit a four to get off the mark. Two balls later, he struck another boundary, eight off four, with a strike rate of 200.

Left-handed Sooryavanshi has consistently been striking at over 200 in the current IPL. And he maintained the same tempo on Friday night too.

A few days back, against Mumbai Indians (MI), Sooryavanshi, facing Jasprit Bumrah for the first time, welcomed him with a six, and the cricket world appreciated him. A top bowler like Bumrah was fearlessly hit by the teenaged Sooryavanshi.

On Friday night, Sooryavanshi took on another top bowler – Josh Hazlewood. The Australian quick was returning after a injury break, and playing his first match of IPL 2026. Just like Bumrah, Hazlewood was also not spared by Sooryavanshi.

Bowling the fourth over of the innings, Hazlewood was smashed for a hat-trick of fours and the next ball for a six, by Sooryavanshi. In the next over, he scored two successive sixes off Bhuvneshwar and a four off the last ball. The second six brought up Sooryavanshi’s fifty in just 15 balls. This was his second 15-ball half-century of the season, with the earlier one coming against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the same venue on March 30.

So far, Sooryavanshi has managed to succeed against top bowlers, including Bumrah, Hazelwood, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, and others.

26-ball 78

By the end of the powerplay, RR has plundered 97/1 in six overs and were racing towards the target, all thanks to Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking batting display. At the other end was Dhruv Jurel, who too did not lag behind in smashing the bowlers.

Also read: Sooryavanshi taking down Bumrah in first over eased pressure, says Jaiswal

When Sooryavanshi departed in the ninth over, he had put RR on top. He fell to left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya for an outstanding knock of 78 from 26 balls with eight fours and seven sixes. His 41-minute stay at the wicket once again showed the world that he should be in the Indian T20I team sooner rather than later.

For a 15-year-old to smash the world’s best bowlers, including Bumrah, Hazlewood, and others, is no small feat. The fearless approach to batting sets this boy apart.

‘Play ball, not bowler’

After the game, Sooryavanshi revealed that he looks at the ball and not the bowler. “I try to execute what I practice and back my natural game. Yes, at the back of your mind, you know who the bowler (Bumrah or Hazlewood) is but you play the ball not the bowler,” he said.

Currently, Sooryavanshi is the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2026 with 200 runs from four innings at an astonishing strike rate of 266.66. He is also the leader of the pack in six-hitting with 18 so far. The next best is 10 sixes from his teammate Jaiswal.

Short IPL career, big impact

Sooryavanshi’s IPL career has spanned just 11 matches, but early signs point to a great future in the shortest format of the game. With 452 runs from 11 IPL games he averages 41.09 and strike rate is 229.45. He has hit more sixes – 42, than fours – 36, and has a hundred and three fifties.

Also read: Calls grow for Sooryavanshi’s India T20I debut; will he break Tendulkar’s record?

He already holds several records, including being the youngest IPL centurion at 14. His hundred, off just 35 balls, the second-fastest in IPL, came against Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2025, in his debut season. RR had bought him for Rs 1.1 crore before IPL 2025, becoming the youngest, at 13 years, to get an IPL deal.

What Kumble, Kohli said on Sooryavanshi

Sooryavanshi’s batting has earned him high praise from teammates, opposition players, and former cricketers.

After the match, RCB’s Virat Kohli signed the youngster’s cap and left a simple but special message: “Dear Vaibhav, well done.”

“When you watch him, you just can't understand… Seriously, you can't believe your eyes. How can he hit the ball like that? Even I'm batting on the same wicket; why isn't it happening for me? He's a great talent,” remarked Sooryavanshi’s teammate Jurel after the match.

RR skipper Parag said, “Everyone loves him, loves having him around. He likes eating stuff, he likes going out and stuff like that, so we make sure we make that available for him.”

“He’s a 16-year-old kid, 15-year-old, whatever it is. (He likes doing) kiddish things, and he's happy with that. He likes a lot of batting (at the nets), so we make sure that that is presented to him, and if he keeps on batting like that, I think (he can do) whatever he wants,” he added.

While there are already calls for Sooryavanshi to be fast-tracked into the Indian T20I setup, former captain Anil Kumble said he should not be rushed and put under pressure.

“Sachin Tendulkar, every time he walked out as a 14-or 15-year-old, he was scoring hundreds. From what we’ve seen, Vaibhav is certainly doing all the right things. But at this point, it’s a lot of pressure on a young lad to say, ‘we want you to play for India in two months’ time.’ It may happen, it may not, but he has time on his side. Even 10 years later, he’ll only be 25, and that’s the best part about someone doing so well at 15,” Kumble said.

“I’m sure there will be a time when he will play for India. Whether it’s fast-tracked or not, every player has his own journey. Some start at 15, some at 28 but they all have a role to play. For Vaibhav, it could be this year, next year or a couple of years later. But the way he is batting, he will certainly be someone the selectors will be watching closely,” he added.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan opined that Sooryavanshi deliberately targets big bowlers. “Does Vaibhav suryavanshi targets big bowlers purposely? I like to think so (sic),” Pathan wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.