In the fifth delivery of the third over of Rajasthan Royals’ chase against Chennai Super Kings on Monday, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi proved exactly why he is better than the rest of the world’s teenagers.RR vs CSK, IPL 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
New Zealand’s Matt Henry, fresh from a clinical T20 World Cup stint, attempted a slower ball hit into the pitch – a classic length delivery aimed at the ‘corridor of uncertainty’. But there was no uncertainty with Vaibhav. Instantly read the length and change of pace, checked the drive and stayed on the back foot to lift the ball over the point cover boundary. It was a shot of impeccable judgment and incredible power. On any level it was a “wow” moment; coming from a 15 year old, it felt like a glitch in the matrix. Henry didn’t do much wrong, but when you’re bowling with a prodigy from Samastipur, Bihar, that’s all you get.
Read the full article
At one point it was like watching a champion spelling bee calmly spell words like “onomatopoeia” without hesitation, right?
“WHAT HAPPENED?”
Sooryavanshi made Hercules look effortless. Just days after his 15th birthday, he’s back to what he does best: making batting look easier than it has any right to and elite pitchers look far less threatening than their reputation suggests.
Also Read: How a WhatsApp text powered Vaibhava in U19 World Cup final
At the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, Sooryavanshi smashed a fifty in just 15 balls to help Rajasthan Royals chased down 128 in just 12.1 overs. On a surface where the likes of Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad were struggling to find their timing – and where his partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, himself a generational talent, tread a cautious path – Vaibhav was busy making jaws drop in the stands and on global television screens.
“Dhruv and I sat there till four in awe. We were like, ‘What’s going on? How is he doing this?'” remarked captain Riyan Parag while watching the latest episode of the Sooryavanshi Show from the underground floor.
Even the skeptics are converting. “Last season I thought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was hyped too early. As an old school cricketer I feel there should be no rush for youngsters,” former India batsman Mohammad Kaif wrote after the Guwahati attack. “But a year later, I think he’s ready to graduate. This 15-year-old can entertain and win games on his own.”
STEYN GETS A RINGSIDE VIEW
South African great Dale Steyn heard the whispers and saw highlights on TV of the teenager who divides the attack into age groups. But on Monday, he witnessed this phenomenon in the flesh for the first time. “It was the first time I saw him bat and it was unbelievable,” Steyn told JioHotstar. “Sheer power in his wrists! He hit Matt Henry’s slower ball over extra cover; I don’t know how he did it. It’s one of the most incredible shots I’ve ever seen.”
As one of the greatest fast bowlers to ever grace the game, Steyn offered a rare moment of empathy for his own tribe, noting that bowlers now actively fear the youngster. “He has already caused fear. You have seen Noor Ahmad bowling to him – he was bowling. His reputation now has psychological weight, based on last year’s IPL and his U19 performances. CSK bowled a lot of bad balls purely out of fear.”
No one was spared. While luck favored the brave when Vaibhav was dropped for a wicket, he cashed in by dismantling Henry in the Powerplay before effortlessly dropping the highly-rated Afghan wrister, Noor Ahmad, into the stands. By the time he fell in the seventh over, his 17-ball 52 had effectively ended the match.
NO SECOND SEASON SYNDROME?
In professional sports, “second season syndrome” is a recurring theme. With the saturation of analytical technology, the “phenomenon” is usually detected within a few games. Analysts scrutinize the footage to dissect every technical error. Many observers have been waiting for this season to pass a final verdict on the Bihar boy before joining the chorus calling for his international debut.
If Monday was a litmus test, those doubts were burned away.
Sooryavanshi benefits from an impressive support system. After being held by Rahul Dravid last season, his progress is now overseen by the legendary Kumar Sangakkara, while his childhood coach Manish Ojha remains a constant anchor.
“The coaches didn’t specifically say that the bowlers would target me – that’s what everyone else was saying – but they told me that they were backing me to stick to my natural game,” Vaibhav said when asked if the ‘sophomore slump’ was weighing on his mind.
Lest we forget, in his debut season, Vaibhav plundered 252 runs in just seven matches at a strike rate of 206.55, including a 35-ball century. Since then he has mastered every level he has touched. His last competitive appearance before Monday was February’s Under-19 World Cup final, where he smashed 175 off 80 balls against England – a knock that reiterated the gulf in class between him and his peers.
Even against senior internationals in the Rising Stars Asia Cup, he stood out among the likes of Jitesh Sharma and Nehal Wadhera. Of course, this “accidental” genius is no accident. As a 12-year-old, he faced 400 balls a day in training – a number that only kept rising.
“He will handle the fame and the pressure,” coach Ojha predicted last year. “Mark my words: he will be in the Indian T20 team within the next year or two.
A consistent IPL 2026 campaign could be his golden ticket. Should he make his debut for India in the next year and 120 days, he will eclipse another of Sachin Tendulkar’s records and become the youngest debutant in the history of the Indian national team.
Selectors often look for reasons to wait, but when the talent ignites so brightly, all they can do is make way and get out of the way.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
31 Mar 2026 07:07 IST
