Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned the IPL into a spectacle on Friday night, impressing even Congress MP Shashi Tharoor with his fearless knock against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with the veteran calling the 15-year-old a “rare, generational talent” who is “redefining the art of batting”.
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The 15-year-old from Samastipur in Bihar scored a remarkable 78 off just 26 balls to lead Rajasthan Royals to a comfortable six-wicket win over the defending champions. Chasing a steep target of 202, the Royals made light work of the chase and got home in 18 overs. Sooryavanshi hammered a 15-ball half-century break the back of the chase.
At an age when most teenagers are busy checking board exam results and planning their next move, Sooryavanshi spent the evening dissecting the high-quality bowling attack in the Indian Premier League. There was a sense of lightness in it all. His innings of eight fours and seven sixes meant 74 of his 78 runs came in boundaries, with each shot greeted with growing disbelief by the crowd.
Among the keen watchers was Tharoor, who followed the game ball by ball before sharing his admiration in a detailed post on X.
“Oh! @Vaibhavsooryava just came out, caught by @imVkohli. Might as well start doing other things like tweeting! Truly a miracle to witness the meteoric rise of young Sooryavanshi. Watching this 15 year old phenom at the crease is a master class in the evolution of the game. Sheer natural almost raw power makes nothing, sheer pair of bats with almost raw speed breathtaking,” he wrote Tharoor.
Continuing on the same thread, the Congress MP described Sooryavanshi as a “phenom” whose bat speed, timing and raw power make every innings a spectacle. He talked about dropping everything just to watch the youngster bat in the Indian Premier League.
“He’s not just playing cricket; he’s fundamentally redefining the art of batting for a new generation. Whenever he strikes, the world outside simply ceases to exist. I found myself dropping everything just to catch every delivery. We’re watching a rare, generational talent develop before our eyes. Really exciting,” he added.
Sooryavanshi’s innings was not just about brute force but also about control. The youngster, who had taken on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah earlier in the season, showed the same authority against Josh Hazlewood on Friday.
Hazlewood, known for his discipline, tried to get him into spasm with a delivery angled close to the body, but Sooryavanshi was quick to adjust and cut it for a boundary. The next two deliveries were sent over middle and into the square-leg stands, underscoring the ease with which he handled both pace and variation.
One of the notable knocks came against Abhinandan Singh, whose yorker-length delivery was hurled into the stands with remarkable bat speed. It was a shot that summed up the teenager’s confidence and his ability to dominate even from difficult positions.
Even after his dismissal, caught by Virat Kohli, the result was beyond doubt. By then, the Royals had already done the work and were firmly in control.
After an impressive debut IPL season at 14, Sooryavanshi has taken his game to another level this year. In a format where hitting 200 is considered elite, the teenager moves above that mark and does so with a freedom that is hard to ignore.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
11 Apr 2026 03:00 IST
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