Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: The buzz around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi refuses to die down — and now, a fresh talking point has gripped the cricketing world: could the teenage sensation one day don the Mumbai Indians colours?A single social media post from former India cricketer Jatin Paranjape has ignited the chatter, hinting that the 15-year-old prodigy might be destined for the IPL’s most successful talent factory. “Vaibhav Suryavanshi will play against his future team tonight,” Paranjape wrote ahead of Rajasthan Royals’ clash with Mumbai Indians — and the internet hasn’t stopped speculating since.A prodigy rewriting recordsSooryavanshi’s rise has been nothing short of extraordinary. Bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore in 2024, the youngster exploded onto the scene in IPL 2025, becoming the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket with a stunning 101 off 38 balls against Gujarat Titans. His 35-ball hundred was the second-fastest in IPL history.He finished his debut season with 252 runs in just seven games at a staggering strike rate of 206.55.ALSO READ: Sooryavanshi: How RR’s talent spotter unearthed Bihar’s boy wonderIf there were doubts about a dip in form in his second season, Sooryavanshi has silenced them emphatically. In IPL 2026, he has already amassed 122 runs in three matches at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 248.97.A 17-ball 52 against CSK, followed by 31 off 18 against GT and a blistering 39 off 14 against MI, has ensured Rajasthan Royals remain unbeaten and perched atop the table.MI’s legacy of spotting gemsThe speculation linking Sooryavanshi to Mumbai Indians is not without context. The franchise has built a reputation for identifying and nurturing Indian talent early.Jasprit Bumrah (2013), Hardik Pandya (2015), Krunal Pandya (2016), Suryakumar Yadav (2012), Ishan Kishan (2018) and Tilak Varma (2022) all passed through the MI system before becoming mainstays at the highest level.Given that legacy, it’s no surprise that fans and experts alike are imagining Sooryavanshi as the next name on that illustrious list.Fearless against the very bestThe hype only intensified after Sooryavanshi took on Jasprit Bumrah in Guwahati. Facing the premier pacer for the first time, the teenager launched him for a six over long-on off his very first ball, and repeated the feat moments later with a stunning pull shot.His 39 off 14 balls set the tone for RR’s 27-run win, leaving even opposition skipper Hardik Pandya in awe.“Amazing to see the way he bats, the kind of fearlessness he has, the kind of shots he has,” Pandya said.At the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal could only admire the onslaught.“The way he has been playing is tremendous,” said the opener. “He’s working so hard… it motivates me as well. I just tell him to play freely.”Jaiswal added that the youngster needs no guidance. “He understands the game very well. He’s capable to do it himself.”

Hardik Pandya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI/ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya was left in awe of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the youngster’s explosive knock helped Rajasthan Royals secure a convincing 27-run win in a rain-hit IPL 2026 clash on Tuesday.In a match reduced to 11 overs per side in Guwahati, Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking 39 off just 14 balls, alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal’s unbeaten 77, powered Rajasthan to 150/3 — a total that proved well beyond Mumbai’s reach as they were restricted to 123/9.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While the result pushed MI down to seventh in the standings, Pandya chose to spotlight the fearless batting of the 15-year-old opener, who has quickly become one of the most talked-about names in the league.“It’s quite fascinating to see a 17 or a 16-year-old boy playing the way he played,” Pandya said after the game. “At the same time, we discussed so much about him in our preparation. Still, the way he bats — the kind of fearlessness he has, the kind of shots he plays — it’s amazing to see. I wish him absolute good luck for the future.”Sooryavanshi wasted no time making an impact, taking on premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah with audacious strokeplay, including multiple sixes that stunned the opposition and shifted momentum decisively in RR’s favour. Pandya admitted that the opening duo of Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi effectively “threw Mumbai out of the game” in the powerplay itself.Despite the batting brilliance on display, Pandya pointed to his team’s bowling as the primary reason behind the defeat. “We did not execute the deliveries we were supposed to, and they played well,” he said. “In a shortened game like this, bowlers need to take more responsibility. As a bowling group, we were not at all up to the mark.”ALSO READ: Yashasvi Jaiswal hits 100 sixes, joins Royals’ elite power-hittersHe added that the outcome could have been different with better discipline. “T20 cricket is about bowling the right couple of balls. If we had executed those, we would have been in the game. I would not put this on the batting — this was definitely on the bowling unit.”Looking ahead, Pandya remained optimistic despite Mumbai’s inconsistent start to the season. “Just learn from the mistakes. The morning will come tomorrow, the sun will rise,” he said, referring to their upcoming clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. “We need to prepare well and come back stronger.”

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Vikram Rathour (Image credit: BCCI/RR/IPL)

NEW DELHI: ‘See the ball and tonk the ball’ – that’s the approach young batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi follows against any opponent and any bowler in the world. As Rajasthan Royals gear up to face Mumbai Indians in a mouth-watering clash in Guwahati, the spotlight has once again shifted to the 15-year-old sensation, with much of the discussion centred around how he will tackle world-class pacer Jasprit Bumrah.Ahead of the clash, the Rajasthan Royals team management chalked out a plan on a board, leading to a light-hearted moment.Sooryavanshi, who was looking at the board with Vikram Rathour, Rajasthan Royals’ batting coach, by his side, started with: “Koi to akele batting karega hi na, toh mai kar leta hun akele batting.”After Rathour nodded, Sooryavanshi added: “Aree 5 minute kam kar lunga sir,”.He then began teasing Siddhartha Lahiri, Rajasthan Royals’ performance coach, who was writing the batting plan on the board.“Your game plan is correct,” Sooryavanshi said.Lahiri jokingly replied: “Isko nikalo pehle mere paas se”.Rajasthan Royals will be aiming to register a third consecutive win when they take on five-time champions Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back after their loss to Delhi Capitals.Sooryavanshi has carried his form from last season into the current one.In two innings so far this season, he has scored 83 runs at an average of 41.50 and a strike rate of 237.14, with a 17-ball 52 against Chennai Super Kings as his best score. He has also carried his rich form from the U19 World Cup-winning campaign this year, where he scored 444 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 169.50, including a century and three fifties.Squads:Rajasthan Royals Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Singh, Shubham Dubey, Adam Milne, Dasun Shanaka, Kuldeep Sen, Sushant Mishra, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Kwena Maphaka, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao PeralaMumbai Indians Squad: Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande, Trent Boult, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Will Jacks, Mayank Rawat, Raghu Sharma, Atharva Ankolekar, AM Ghazanfar, Danish Malewar, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar.