IPL 2026: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Batting Brilliance Earns Praise From AB de Villiers And Sunil Gavaskar

RR vs GT: Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has stretched a historic IPL 2026 campaign with another explosive innings, hammering 96 off 47 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, pushing RR back into the contest after a top-order collapse and underlining why many analysts already rank this season among the finest batting efforts in league history.

The right-hander’s overall numbers now look extraordinary for any player, let alone a teenager. Sooryavanshi has reached 775 runs in IPL 2026, scoring at a strike rate of 237, and also became the fastest cricketer to 1000 IPL career runs, needing just 440 balls to touch the landmark, which places this run among the most productive seasons recorded.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi IPL 2026 innings lifts RR after early collapse

RR were in serious trouble during Qualifier 2 when Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel departed cheaply and the middle order failed to settle, yet Sooryavanshi steadied the innings and then counter-attacked, producing a mature rescue act that mixed risk management with clean hitting in one of the highest-pressure fixtures of IPL 2026.

Facing Gujarat Titans’ attack, Sooryavanshi showed little fear against Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Rashid Khan and Prasidh Krishna, striking eight fours and seven sixes, and maintaining a strike rate above 200, while also registering his slowest IPL fifty, which still arrived in only 31 deliveries, underscoring how he adapted to conditions before accelerating.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi IPL 2026 brilliance earns praise from AB de Villiers

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers, on commentary for JioHotstar, appeared stunned by the range of shots and power generated by the RR batter, saying, "I am speechless. These balls are above shoulder height, and I have absolutely no idea how this young man generates power from there. I don't know if he played tennis in a previous life, but that looks like a Rafael Nadal forehand out there."

Harsha Bhogle highlighted both the ambition and execution shown by Sooryavanshi, who fell for 96 while aiming for another big hit, noting that the youngster crossed 500 powerplay runs during the knock, with 452 of those runs coming in boundaries, and stressing that the dismissal should not overshadow how dominant the performance looked against Gujarat Titans.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi IPL 2026 temperament lauded by Sunil Gavaskar

Bhogle summed up the occasion and scrutiny around the RR opener’s technique, remarking, "Once again, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, knocking on the door of the hundred, backs himself to clear third man, and falls marginally short, but don't let that take away one moment from the magnitude of what he's done today. It is a great skill, because his ability was questioned today, and he's come out of it with flying colours."

Indian great Sunil Gavaskar drew attention to the tactical side of Sooryavanshi’s effort, praising how the teenager initially curbed attacking strokes when RR were under pressure, then increased tempo after regaining rhythm, saying, "Not just his ability but also his temperament. When things were not going well, how he restricted his shot-making till he got that rhythm back, and then he made up for it. He is very upset with himself and who wouldn't be? We all are upset as well that he missed out on another hundred. But what an entertaining innings."

The mixture of heavy scoring, record-breaking pace, and composure in a knockout match has elevated Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 story, with experienced voices such as AB de Villiers, Harsha Bhogle and Sunil Gavaskar agreeing that this 96 against Gujarat Titans reflects not only raw talent but also temperament that already looks suited to sustained success.