Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks down in dugout after Rajasthan Royals exit from IPL 2026 – WATCH

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) NEW DELHI: As Gujarat Titans celebrated their place in the IPL 2026 final, a distraught Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sat quietly in the Rajasthan Royals dugout. The 15-year-old buried his face in an orange cap and wiped away tears, unable to mask his disappointment at seeing his team’s campaign come to an end.It was a rare sight. Throughout the season, Sooryavanshi played with freedom and a smile, fearlessly taking on some of the world’s best bowlers and lighting up stadiums with his breathtaking pull game. But on Friday night in Mullanpur, the teenager was left heartbroken. He did almost everything he could. A brilliant 96 off 47 balls powered Rajasthan Royals to an impressive 214/6. However, his valiant effort was not enough as Gujarat Titans secured a seven-wicket victory to book their place in the IPL final against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Gujarat Titans’ chase of 215 was led by skipper Shubman Gill, whose unbeaten 104 helped his side reach the eight-ball target in New Chandigarh. The knock eclipsed Sooryavanshi’s second consecutive 90-plus score in the playoffs.Sooryavanshi carried the bat for Rajasthan Royals for most of the season, amassing 776 runs, smashing 72 sixes and rewriting the record books. Yet at the time, none of these accomplishments seemed to matter.Even as captain Riyan Parag addressed the broadcasters during the post-match presentation, Sooryavanshi remained seated in the dugout trying to contain his emotions. A member of the support staff sat next to him, offering comfort to the youngster who had given his all for his team but agonizingly missed the final hurdle.“I can’t put it into words. There’s one way you just go and grind and then you have a lot of runs. But the way it’s batted, it’s not just smacking. It’s not blind smacking. You can’t do what you just did today if you just go from ball one,” RR captain Parag said after the match.“He calculates, he assesses the conditions. He literally does everything well. I still can’t figure out how. But hopefully he will continue to do that. Hopefully he will represent our country and bring more laurels to the country. And hopefully he will continue to play for Rajasthan Royals and get us to that second championship,” added Parag.At just 15, Sooryavanshi has shown that behind the fearless bat, towering sixes and record-breaking performances is a young cricketer who cares deeply about his team. Individual milestones and personal recognition could not ease the pain of elimination.His IPL 2026 journey may have ended in tears, but it also marked the arrival of one of the brightest young talents in the game. Rajasthan Royals’ season is over, but for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, it’s just the beginning.