Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and KL Rahul (Image Agency) Delhi Capitals’ KL Rahul has heaped praise on Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, calling his rise a sign of how T20 cricket is rapidly evolving with intrepid young talent.Talking about JioStar’s ‘Superstars’, Rahul reflected on the impact Sooryavanshi is making at just 15 years old.“It’s phenomenal what these new-age cricketers are doing. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has taken world cricket by storm. Two centuries at the age of 15 is something I never dreamed of,” Rahul said.
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Vikram Solanki on GT strategy, pitch and team decisionsSooryavanshi’s numbers support this statement. In IPL 2026, he scored 400 runs in nine matches at an average of 44.44 and a strike rate of 238.09, including a century and two fifties. His tally of 37 sixes is the highest in the tournament so far and just six away from breaking Abhishek Sharma’s record of 42 sixes by India in a single IPL season.Rahul also pointed to a wider shift in Indian cricket, highlighting how young players now embrace an ultra-aggressive mindset and take on even the best without hesitation.“The amount of talent coming in India is scary, especially in T20 cricket. These fearless prodigies are changing the way T20 is played. They are not afraid of reputation or match situations,” he said.“Whether it’s a top bowler like Jasprit Bumrah or a seasoned batsman like Pat Cummins, they go after every ball with the same intent. They don’t care if it’s the first over or the last over. They just see the ball and want to hit it out of the park. That kind of mindset is rare and it’s exactly what modern T20 cricket requires.”Sooryavanshi is also on the verge of another milestone. Before turning 20, he had already smashed 99 sixes in just 27 T20 innings, the most by any batsman at that age. One more six will take him to the 100 mark, a feat that will stand for years.Rahul believes the IPL has played a huge role in shaping this new generation of power hitters.“Five years ago, we didn’t produce as much batter for six-hitters as England or Australia. Now things have changed with the IPL,” he said.
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“These guys grew up wanting to hit sixes. When we were young, we had to learn to defend and let the ball go. To have shots in the air meant sitting outside the nets. It was a different time. These guys practice sixes all the time. That’s why they’re so good.”As Sooryavanshi continues to rewrite expectations at just 15, Rahul’s words underscore a larger shift in the game where fearless hitting is no longer the exception but the norm.
