‘There was a legend…’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi recalls hearing Sunil Gavaskar stories from father

Vaibhav Sooryanshi and Sunil Gavaskar (Image: X) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who finished IPL 2026 as the Orange Cap winner with 776 runs, became the face of the season. The teenage sensation broke records, entertained fans with fearless batting and etched his name in IPL history with a breakthrough campaign that few could have imagined.But behind the sixes, centuries and accolades lies a story of inspiration rooted in family. Sooryavanshi revealed that much of his motivation came from his father, a devoted admirer of Sunil Gavaskar, who often shared stories about the Indian batting legend during his son’s formative years. Standing alongside Gavaskar during the post-season telecast, he shared a candid memory that offered insight into his journey.“My father has already told me a lot about you,” Sooryavanshi told Gavaskar with a smile. “He used to stand behind the nets when I was practicing on the cement wicket outside my house that my father made. I was much smaller then than I am today. Whenever I played a few good shots, the bowlers would start throwing bouncers at me,” he added. The teenager admitted that bowling frustrated him for a while, but his father was always able to lift his spirits.“I used to get frustrated when the bouncers bowled and then my father used to tell me stories about you. He said, ‘There was a legend from our time who used to hit the fearsome West Indies fast bowlers for sixes without wearing a helmet.’ Those stories motivated me a lot. He kept talking about you and they stayed with me,” said Sooryavanshi.

What do you admire most about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 season?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi completed a historic IPL 2026 campaign by dominating the season’s awards and bagging five major awards: Rookie of the Season, Super Striker of the Season (Strike Rate: 237.3), Super Sixes of the Season (72 sixes), Orange Cap (776 runs). His season featured some memorable performances, including a brilliant 29-ball 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator and a 47-ball 96 against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, falling just short of a century in consecutive play-off matches.