Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may light up IPL 2026 with record-breaking performances, but off the field, the 15-year-old remains every bit a teenager. The Rajasthan Royals youngster revealed that he still watches cartoons before matches, a routine he has no plans to change.
This contrast quickly became one of the most fascinating parts of his rise. Speaking to Star Sports after RR’s comfortable win over Lucknow Super Giants, Sooryavanshi opened up about his simple pre-match routine and offered a glimpse of how he remains relaxed despite the growing spotlight.
LSG vs RR: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Watch the video:
“My mind is clear. Even today, I watch cartoons before every match. It’s a habit. I still watch cartoons, but I also focus on the game,” he said.
“We will do well in the next match. We took two points from this win and now we advance to the playoffs,” he added.
In a relatively quiet outing against Lucknow, Sooryavanshi managed just 8 off 11 balls. Rajasthan Royals still cruised to a comfortable victorybut even in that short stay the youngster achieved a milestone that added another layer to his growing reputation.
At just 15 years and 26 days old, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player in IPL history to score 500 runsaround Prithvi Shaw. He also got there in just 227 balls, the fastest to the mark, breaking Glenn Maxwell’s previous record.
Despite his modest score in Lucknow, he remains Rajasthan’s top scorer this season with 254 runs. His impact was defined by explosive cameos, including two half-centuries that came off just 15 balls each, making him one of the fastest in IPL history.
HOW WAS SOORYAVANSHI IN IPL 2026?
Sooryavanshi started the season in sensational fashion and quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young talents in the tournament. However, the last three matches saw a slight dip, with scores of 0, 48 and 8 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants respectively.
Rajasthan Royals lost the first two of those matches, highlighting how crucial his contributions at the top were.
Overall, the 15-year-old scored 254 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 220.87 and an average of 36.29. His ability to dominate the bowlers early in the innings has been a key factor in Rajasthan’s campaign so far.
So far, IPL 2026 has found one of its most compelling stories in a teenager who is as comfortable watching pre-match cartoons as he is taking on the world’s best bowlers.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
23 Apr 2026 10:24 IST
Tune in
