Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s mistake after RR’s IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 exit: ‘I made a mistake’

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (ANI Photo) NEW DELHI: Despite playing one of the most significant innings of the IPL 2026 playoffs, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi believes he made a key mistake that contributed to Rajasthan Royals’ exit from the tournament. Royals were eliminated in Qualifier 2 after Gujarat Titans successfully chased down their target of 214 runs with eight balls to spare.Sooryavanshi scored a brilliant 96 and later conceded that Rajasthan could have trailed by around 10-12 runs. Reflecting on the defeat, the 15-year-old said, “There was a lot to learn from the last game. I feel we fell by 10-12 runs. But still I feel I should have kept my batting more in the middle overs because it was a bit tough for the batsmen. (There was a lot to learn from the last game). More batting on each other during the middle overs.)”The teenager explained that the pitch made it difficult to bat during the middle turns, making life difficult for incoming batters.In retrospect, he felt he should have faced more deliveries himself rather than allow the new players to strike.“The wicket was not good in our time, it was sticky. So I feel I made a mistake there by letting the new batsmen hit more. (The wicket was not great at that time, it was quite sticky. So I feel I made a mistake there by letting the new batsmen hit more. I should have stayed on strike more during that time),” he added.Although Rajasthan did not reach the final, Sooryavanshi’s season was nothing special. The Bihar-born youngster ended IPL 2026 as the tournament’s top run-scorer, amassing 776 runs at a staggering 237.30.His willingness to openly analyze his own performance and accept responsibility for defeat drew praise and highlighted a level of maturity rarely seen in such a young player. Even after a record-breaking campaign, Sooryavanshi focused on the lessons he could take forward rather than his personal achievements.