What did Gavaskar say to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the viral foot touching moment?

Sunil Gavaskar has revealed what he said to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during their viral foot touch ahead of the IPL 2026 Eliminator clash between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sooryavanshi stole the show with his incredible 29-ball 97 against SRH to power his side into Qualifier 2.

Apart from his batting, there was a moment when the teenage sensation approached Gavaskar and touched his feet before the game started. Sooryavanshi created an unforgettable moment before the match with a gesture that mixed humility and respect. During the warm-up, the young RR opener reached the broadcast set and sought the blessings of batting great Sunil Gavaskar and former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar by touching their feet while they were in the air.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rushed to touch the feet of Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Bangar who were putting on a pre-match show.

Sooryavanshi then turns his head to Jatin Sapru, who jumps off his mark to avoid the 15-year-old

Follow #SRHvsRR Live: pic.twitter.com/54IEKJI6dJ— India Today Sports (@ITGDsports) May 27, 2026

The unexpected act pleasantly surprised everyone on the presentation floor and quickly became one of the exceptional off-field moments of the evening.

Gavaskar was reminded of this moment during an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, India Today’s Consulting Editor, and given a hypothetical situation where he would be Sooryavanshi’s partner for RR.

Gavaskar was asked what he would say to the boy wonder and the Indian legend said he would tell him to carry on, something he told the youngster during their brief interaction.

“I would have told him exactly what I told him yesterday when he came just before the match and we were doing a show on the ground. When he came and touched my legs and I and all I said to him was ‘lag raho bete, lag raho,’ and that’s exactly what I would have said if I was batting with him from the other end,” Gavaskar said.

IS SOORYAVANSHI THE NEXT BIG THING IN INDIAN CRICKET?

Sooryavanshi has already enjoyed a sensational campaign in IPL 2026, he scored 680 runs and broke Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes by batting in a single campaign.

So is he the next big thing in Indian cricket? Gavaskar feels that is the case from what he has seen so far with his performances for RR over the last two seasons.

“It’s certainly promising from what we’ve seen because for someone to play the kind of shots that he plays or the comfort level that he plays at, that means he’s someone really, really special,” Gavaskar said.

Sooryavanshi will be back in action when RR take on GT in Qualifier 2 on Friday, May 29.

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Published on:

28 May 2026 22:50 IST