Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is doing what most 15-year-olds could only dream of, and he’s doing it on the biggest T20 stage in the world.
The Rajasthan Royals opener has lit up IPL 2026 with fearless strokeplay against world-class bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood, announcing himself with a blazing 17-ball 52 against Chennai Super Kings and maintaining a strike rate of over 263 across five innings.
The Bihar-born prodigy had already turned heads in IPL 2025 with a stunning 101 off 38 balls against Gujarat Titans, before guiding India U19 to World Cup glory in early 2026 as Player of the Tournament.
His exploits have reignited calls for a senior India call-up, though the road hasn’t been without bumps. Sooryavanshi was dismissed for a golden duck against Sunrisers Hyderabad, his first real failure this season, visibly frustrated as he walked back.
Coach Kumar Sangakkara remained unfazed. His message was clear: enjoy everything, a hundred or a duck, because failure is part of cricket, and for a player like Sooryavanshi, “less said, the better.”
The India dream, it seems, is only just beginning.
