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All the chatter ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between the Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians was about how the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would face up against Jasprit Bumrah. In the last year or so, the left-handed batter has decimated every other bowler who has come his way, but Bumrah was expected to be a different kettle of fish. However, once the game got underway at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Sooryavanshi showed the world he’s truly here to say, and he won’t take a backward step against any pacer, not even against someone like Bumrah.
Sooryavanshi hit a six off the very first ball he faced off Bumrah. The pacer bowled an absolute slot ball, which the left-hander deposited over the mid-on boundary for a maximum. A few balls later, Bumrah went short, but Sooryavanshi rocked back for another six. The left-hander lasted just 14 balls in the middle, but caused absolute mayhem during his stay, hammering 39 runs.
Hence, it was no surprise that Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya was in awe of Sooryavanshi once the 11-overs-per-side game came to an end. Once Rajasthan Royals sealed a comfortable 27-run win, the players from both sides exchanged pleasantries, and it was then that the cameras picked up a sweet interaction between Pandya and Sooryavanshi.
The senior Indian all-rounder paused for a while as soon as he was about to shake the hands of Sooryavanshi, and the youngster looked overawed by the moment. Hardik then repeatedly patted Sooryavanshi’s chest, giving him his ultimate approval and recognising his talent in front of the world.
‘Good luck’
Hardik did not stop there; he had more praise for the youngster. Speaking to the broadcaster, the Mumbai skipper said he was quite impressed by the fearlessness Vaibhav brings to the table.
“It’s quite fascinating to see a 15-year-old boy playing the way he played. At the same point of time, discussing so much about him in the preparation leading up to the game. So yeah, amazing to see the way he bats, the kind of fearlessness he has, the kind of shots he has,” Hardik told the host broadcaster after the loss against the Rajasthan Royals.
“I wish him absolute good luck in the future,” he added.
Speaking of the game between Rajasthan and Mumbai, Rajasthan posted 150/3 in 11 overs in a rain-curtailed match after being asked to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 77 while Sooryavanshi scored 39.
Mumbai fell 27 runs short after being reduced to 123/9 after Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma and Ravi Bishnoi returned with two wickets each.
