‘If Vaibhav Fires…’: Anil Kumble Highlights Sooryavanshi as RR’s X-Factor Ahead Of IPL 2026 Qualifier-2

As the Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals prepare for a blockbuster Qualifier 2 clash in the TATA IPL 2026, much of the spotlight is on a player who is only 15 years old. Vaibhav Suryavanshi's remarkable season has transformed him from a promising youngster into one of the tournament's biggest stars.

Ahead of the knockout encounter, former India captain Anil Kumble, speaking on JioHotstar's Game Plan (Credit: JioStar), highlighted how the teenager could be the key factor in deciding which team books a place in the final. While Gujarat will rely on their proven formula and experienced bowling attack, Rajasthan's hopes could once again rest on the fearless batting of their young opener, who continues to rewrite records in his debut season.

Speaking on JioHotstar's Game Plan, the former Indian leggie praised Suryavanshi's consistency throughout the season. "Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the Orange Cap holder, and that doesn't come from doing it just once or against a couple of teams. He's done it consistently over the last two months, and that says a lot about the youngster."

Further, the former India captain noted that Suryavanshi's impact goes beyond simply hitting big sixes. He pointed out that the youngster is currently the tournament's leading six-hitter and added that Rajasthan Royals would hold a significant advantage if he manages to bat through the Powerplay.

Yashasvi Faces Pressure Of A New Star

The veteran cricketer also spoke about Yashasvi Jaiswal's recent struggles and the shift in attention within the Rajasthan camp.
"The bowlers have bowled well at him, but he will still be under pressure. The whole limelight that was on Yashasvi Jaiswal a couple of years ago is still there, but now someone who is just 15 years old has gone ahead and taken the world by storm," Kumble said on JioHotstar's Game Plan. According to Kumble, Rajasthan would like Jaiswal to bat deeper into the innings and provide stability alongside their explosive young opener.

How RCB Exposed Gujarat's Template In Q1?

Analysing Gujarat Titans' defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1, former RCB Chief explained on JioHotstar's Game Plan (Credit: JioStar) that GT's batting unit struggled under scoreboard pressure.

"We know the GT template. If they can restrict the opposition to around the 200-run mark, then they're comfortable. The moment it goes beyond 220-230, the pressure on the top three increases significantly." He added that RCB's huge total forced GT to play outside their comfort zone, something Rajasthan will look to replicate.

'Underdogs' Get Kumble's Vote

Despite Gujarat's strong season, Kumble believes Rajasthan have what it takes to pull off another upset.

"It's a hard one to predict. It's really hard because Rajasthan have done well, yet they still seem to be the underdogs. I think I'll go with the underdogs. I'm still expecting Vaibhav to do what he did against SRH because if Vaibhav does that, Rajasthan will have the advantage," Kumble said on JioHotstar's Game Plan.

If Qualifier 2 comes down to one defining performance, Kumble believes Rajasthan's teenage sensation could once again be the player who changes everything.