Barring two innings, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has thus far been unstoppable in this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 15-year-old boy wonder, who has set the tournament ablaze by racing to 400 runs, with one century and two half-centuries, is setting new records almost every innings he plays, and the speed at which he is going, the sky is the limit for Sooryavanshi. Until now, he appears to have no weaknesses, a point Ian Bishop has reiterated. Everything bowled to him is being smacked into the stands. However, tonight’s fixture between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals could change that narrative, as Sooryavanshi, for the first time in his career, will come up against the menacing Mitchell Starc. He has taken apart Bumrah, Hazlewood and Cummins. Will Starc be next, or will Sooryavanshi meet his match?
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KL Rahul is certain of one thing, though: Sooryavanshi will not copy his ‘hand-in-the-mouth’ celebration on reaching a century in IPL 2026. Last year, Rahul used the gesture after ending an eight-year wait for a Test century at home against the West Indies, possibly in reference to the birth of his daughter earlier in March. Asked to blind-rank outrageous IPL 2026 scenarios, Rahul placed the possibility of Sooryavanshi imitating the celebration at No. 7 out of 8, suggesting it is highly unlikely.
“I don’t think he is going to do that,” he said on ESPNCricinfo.
Stunning Sooryavanshi
Sooryavanshi has ticked a whole lot of boxes in his short professional career. Having made his IPL debut last year, he has already put his name on the map, blasting centuries in Australia, England and South Africa, and winning the Under-19 World Cup in February, where he top-scored with a stunning 175 in the final. If becoming the youngest-ever to score an IPL century wasn’t impressive enough, he has only gone from strength to strength this year.
“People will come better prepared against you,” departing former coach Rahul Dravid had told him, but there have been no signs of a second-season syndrome as Sooryavanshi continues to plunder one attack after another. Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have all felt his wrath. Tonight, it could be Delhi Capitals’ turn to endure the Sooryavanshi storm.
Starc will test him, but victory is no certainty. Even if Bishop has ruled out the chances of Sooryavanshi launching a first-ball six off the Aussie pacer, there are 119 deliveries left in the innings. If Sooryavanshi faces even half of them, all hell could break loose… again.