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What were you doing when you were 15? This is the common theme on social media as the world continues to go gaga over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. After announcing himself on the biggest stage last year, one thought that the left-handed batter would find the going tough in the 19th edition of the tournament; however, the youngster is proving the entire world wrong. On Friday, Sooryavanshi leapfrogged his Rajasthan Royals opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, to wear the Orange Cap. En route, he also decimated the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bowling attack, smashing 78 runs off 26 balls with the help of eight boundaries and seven sixes.
Out of his 78 runs, 74 came in boundaries, and his blitz ensured that the Royals registered their fourth win on the trot to consolidate the position at the top of the points table. Just as the entire world did, even Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP, ran out of superlatives to describe the youngster’s performance against RCB.
What made the performance even greater was that Sooryavanshi did not take a backward step against performers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, and smashed them around. Tharoor stated that the meteoric rise of Sooryavanshi is one for the ages, and he is providing a masterclass in the evolution of the game.
“Ah! @Vaibhavsooryava is just out, caught by @imVkohli. May as well start doing other things now, like tweeting! It is truly a marvel to witness the meteoric rise of young Sooryavanshi. Watching this 15-year-old phenom at the crease is a masterclass in the evolution of the game. The sheer bat speed he generates, coupled with an almost supernatural sense of timing and raw power, is nothing short of breathtaking. He isn’t just playing cricket; he is fundamentally redefining the art of batting for a new generation,” Tharoor wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“Whenever he takes strike, the world outside simply ceases to exist: I find myself dropping everything just to catch every delivery. We are watching a rare, generational talent unfold before our eyes. Truly exhilarating! #IPL2026,” he added.
Sooryavanshi is now the Orange Cap holder
In the four matches that he has played in the IPL 2026 season so far, Sooryavanshi has managed 200 runs, including two half-centuries. Both of his fifties came off just 15 balls against CSK and RCB.
After the game against RCB, Sooryavanshi also had a brief interaction with Virat Kohli, during which he got the latter to sign an autograph.
The youngster had announced himself on the big stage last season, hitting a 35-ball century against the Gujarat Titans. He registered the fastest century by an Indian batter in the tournament. Sooryavanshi then scored runs for fun for India U19 in the Youth series against England, Australia and South Africa. He was also the Player of the Match in the U19 World Cup final against England for his 175-run knock off just 80 balls.
