Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned an IPL contest into a spectacle on Friday night, with his fearless hitting against Royal Challengers Bengaluru leaving even Congress MP Shashi Tharoor impressed, the veteran calling the 15-year-old a “rare, generational talent” who is “redefining the art of batting.”
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The 15-year-old from Samastipur in Bihar scored a remarkable 78 off just 26 balls, leading Rajasthan Royals to a comfortable six-wicket win over the defending champions. Chasing a steep target of 202, the Royals made light work of the pursuit, getting home in 18 overs as Sooryavanshi hammered a 15-ball half-century to break the back of the chase.
At an age when most teenagers are busy checking board exam results and planning their next step, Sooryavanshi spent his evening taking apart a high-quality bowling attack in the Indian Premier League. There was a sense of ease to it all. His innings, laced with eight fours and seven sixes, meant 74 of his 78 runs came in boundaries, each shot greeted with growing disbelief from the crowd.
Among those watching closely was Tharoor, who followed the game ball by ball before sharing his admiration in a detailed post on X.
“Ah! @Vaibhavsooryava is just out, caught by @imVkohli. May as well start doing other things now, like tweeting! It is truly a marvel to witness the meteoric rise of young Sooryavanshi. Watching this 15-year-old phenom at the crease is a masterclass in the evolution of the game. The sheer bat speed he generates, coupled with an almost supernatural sense of timing and raw power, is nothing short of breathtaking,” Tharoor wrote.
The Congress MP continued in the same thread, describing Sooryavanshi as a “phenom” whose bat speed, timing, and raw power make every innings a spectacle. He spoke about dropping everything just to watch the youngster bat in the Indian Premier League.
“He isn’t just playing cricket; he is fundamentally redefining the art of batting for a new generation. Whenever he takes strike, the world outside simply ceases to exist. I find myself dropping everything just to catch every delivery. We are watching a rare, generational talent unfold before our eyes. Truly exhilarating,” he added.
Sooryavanshi’s innings was not just about brute force but also about control. Having already taken on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah earlier in the season, the youngster showed the same authority against Josh Hazlewood on Friday.
Hazlewood, known for his discipline, tried to cramp him for room with a delivery angled in close to the body, but Sooryavanshi adjusted quickly and carved it away for a boundary. The next two deliveries were dispatched over mid-on and into the square leg stands, underlining the ease with which he handled both pace and variation.
One of the standout strokes came against Abhinandan Singh, whose yorker-length delivery was whipped into the stands with remarkable bat speed. It was a shot that summed up the teenager’s confidence and his ability to dominate even from difficult positions.
Even after his dismissal, caught by Virat Kohli, the result was beyond doubt. By then, the Royals had already done the job and were firmly in control.
After an impressive debut IPL season at 14, Sooryavanshi has taken his game to another level this year. In a format where a strike rate of 200 is seen as elite, the teenager is operating well above that mark, and doing it with freedom that is hard to ignore.
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