‘Cricket is a team game’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reveals father’s lesson on lost centuries

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image: IPL/BCCI) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the undisputed breakout star of IPL 2026. The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals sensation currently leads the Orange Cap race with 680 runs in 15 matches and has lit up the tournament with a string of record-breaking performances. However, despite his remarkable season, he narrowly missed out on what many believe would have been a well-deserved century.Twice this season, Sooryavanshi found himself in the nineties only to fall short thanks to his unwavering commitment to the team. Rather than slow down to secure personal milestones, the teenager continued his natural attacking game, putting the needs of the team ahead of individual records.Explaining his thinking on JioStar, Sooryavanshi revealed a lesson his father taught him from a young age.“From my childhood, my father always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred or even a triple hundred, but the team doesn’t win because of it, then those runs have no value. They may be only for your personal best, but they don’t benefit the team,” said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Should individual records take precedence over team victories in cricket?

“At the end of the day, cricket is a team game. So if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if I still don’t win even though I scored a hundred, then that 80 means more than a hundred to me,” he added.“The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will have to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So it’s beneficial for me personally as well as the team,” concluded Vaibhav.His selfless attitude was on full display during the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking 97 off just 28 balls was just one boundary away from breaking Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest century in IPL history. Instead of going safe and taking a single, he attempted a daring uppercut off Praful Hinge. Spotting the fielder late on, he tried to adjust the shot but mistimed it and was eventually caught at deep third man on the 29th ball.Earlier in the season against Lucknow Super Giants, he produced another sensational innings as he smashed 93 off just 38 deliveries. The left-hander tore apart the LSG attack with seven fours and ten towering sixes at a stunning pace of 244.73, guiding Rajasthan Royals to a dominant victory before falling short of a century again.