Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is currently the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2026 season with 680 runs at a strike-rate of over 242.
Published: May 29, 2026, 2:45 PM IST
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed 97 in 29 balls vs SRH in IPL 2026 Eliminator. (Photo: IANS)
GT vs RR IPL 2026 Qualifier 2: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is only 15 years of age and no one in the history of the Indian Premier League has scored a hundred in less than 30 balls. Former West Indies opener and ‘Universe Boss’ holds the record of fastest-ever IPL ton in 30 balls back in 2013 season. Sooryavanshi got to within touching distance of breaking the record as he smashed 97 in 29 balls with 12 massive sixes in the IPL 2026 Eliminator vs Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.
But there was hint of regret for Sooryavanshi as Rajasthan Royals went on to win the Eliminator by 47 runs to book their place in Qualifier 2 vs Gujarat Titans, which will take place in Mullanpur on Friday. The RR opener recalled his father’s advice after missing out on his third IPL hundred.
Speaking to JioStar, ‘Fearless Prodigy’ Vaibhav Suryavanshi revealed his father’s advice. “Since childhood, my father has always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred, or even a triple hundred, but the team does not win because of it, then those runs hold no value. They may only for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team. Cricket, in the end, is a team game.
“So, if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if we still do not win despite me scoring a century, then that 80 means more to me than the hundred. The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will get to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So, it benefits both me personally and the team as well,” Sooryavanshi told JioStar.
Sooryavanshi had become the youngest-ever IPL debutant at the age of just 14 in the IPL 2025. In the IPL 2026 season, he has gone from strength-to-strength and is currently the Orange Cap holder with 680 runs in 15 matches at a strike-rate of over 242 with record 65 sixes.
The Bihar youngster recalled the time when he was bought for Rs 1.1 crore by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 mega auction. “I got the first call from Romi Bhinder sir, who is the team manager. I was in Dubai, and the auction was also taking place there. After the trials, I had spoken to him and he had told me that they would go for me, and then we spoke for two to three minutes on the call while he congratulated me.
“In my debut match, I hit a six off the first ball, so it was a very special moment and a great memory. Then, I scored a hundred in the same season, which was a very proud moment for both my family and me. It was only my third match, so it felt great to have such a good start to my IPL career, and I am just carrying that momentum forward now,” Sooryavanshi recalled.
On his mindset heading into Qualifier 2 vs GT, Sooryavanshi said, “We are looking to go in with a good mindset and positive intent and continue doing what the whole team has done throughout the tournament. We should continue to enjoy the game, which we always do, not take the pressure of a big match, and back our strengths. As a team and as a unit, we want to reach the finals and hopefully lift the trophy.”
