Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Kings begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Chennai Super Kings on March 30 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, with the focus on 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.Known for his aggressive stroke play, Sooryavanshi has already amassed records across formats. He heads into IPL 2026 on the back of a stunning 175 in the U-19 World Cup final, the innings that led India to the title. He was the second highest run-scorer with 439 runs in seven matches at the Under-19 World Cup at an average of 62.71 at a strike rate of 169.49, including a century and three fifties. He also smashed a record 30 sixes — the most in the history of the tournament.
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Shashi Tharoor & Samson’s Redemption Story: From Failure to FameAhead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said this season will be an important learning phase for the young batsman, especially as opposition teams study his game closely.Speaking on JioStar’s IPL show, Pathan explained that after his success across formats, Sooryavanshi now faces a new challenge as opponents have noticed both his strengths and potential weaknesses.“This IPL season will be a learning experience for Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He played in the tournament last year, he played domestic cricket and he plays cricket everywhere in all formats.”He played in the Under-19 World Cup, participated in the Ranji Trophy with Bihar and scored everywhere,” said Pathan.“In white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket, everyone takes note of him. The bowlers do the same. Since he has played so much cricket since his IPL debut last year, other players watch his videos and analyze his weaknesses,” he added.Pathan stressed that the 14-year-old left-hander must continue to develop his game and address areas of improvement. He added that Sooryavanshi’s recent dominance across formats will keep his confidence high as he prepares to make a statement.“He has smashed centuries in all forms of cricket with ease. When you do that consistently, not just in the IPL but also in domestic cricket, under-19 cricket and new matches, your confidence keeps rising,” said Pathan.“In this IPL season, all the bowlers will be ready with their strategies and Vaibhav will be looking to prove a point. He can do that by scoring another hundred in IPL. If he scores consistently this season, we can say that Vaibhav Suryavanshi has upgraded his game,” he concluded.
