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.

Rajasthan Royals’ captain Riyan Parag (PTI Photo)

Former Chennai Super Kings batter Ambati Rayudu has backed Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag, stating that the young captain has already earned the trust and respect of his teammates early in his leadership stint. Rajasthan edged past Gujarat Titans by six runs in a tense encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium on April 4. After posting 210/6, RR managed to restrict Gujarat to 204/8, sealing a narrow but impressive win. Speaking during a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Rayudu highlighted how Parag has settled into the role and how the squad appears to be responding positively to his leadership. “He is doing a fantastic job and I am sure the coaching staff are giving him all the freedom. I can easily see the RR group having great respect for him. That is great to watch. When you have a young captain, the biggest challenge is to command that respect. I can see a lot of respect for him in the squad. They look to be enjoying themselves, which is a great sign.” Parag was handed the captaincy ahead of IPL 2026 after Sanju Samson moved to CSK. The 24-year-old had already gained some leadership exposure last season, stepping in as stand-in captain during Samson’s injury phase. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch also weighed in, pointing out a key factor that has helped Parag ease into the role. He noted that the absence of a dominant senior figure in the dressing room has worked in the young skipper’s favour. “What is also important in that regard when you have got a young captain – there is not an overshadowing figure who has missed that opportunity to lead the side. Often there can be a resentment there towards the person who has got the job. He has got a team of young superstars. He can almost guide them through the next phase of their career and forge a generation of seriously good players for RR.” Under Parag’s leadership this season, Rajasthan have made a strong start, winning both of their matches so far. While his individual returns with the bat have been modest — 14* off 11 against CSK and 8 against GT — he has contributed with the ball as well, picking up the wicket of Kumar Kushagra in the latter game. With early results going his way and strong backing from former players, Parag’s captaincy stint has begun on a promising note, both in terms of results and dressing-room dynamics.

Rajasthan Royals’ Ravi Bishnoi, second left, celebrates with teammates (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra heaped praise on Ravi Bishnoi for his decisive spell in Rajasthan Royals’ narrow six-run win over Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. He also remarked that the leg-spinner was undervalued at the auction and deserved a significantly higher price.Chasing 211 in Ahmedabad on April 4, Gujarat were undone largely by Bishnoi’s impact with the ball. The wrist-spinner returned figures of 4/41 from his four overs, striking at key moments to tilt the game in Rajasthan’s favour.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra reflected on Bishnoi’s value and performance.“Ravi Bishnoi, we were talking at the time of the auction that he was sold very cheaply – seven crores is cheap. He should have got 10-11 crores. He was a brilliant acquisition at seven crores. He picked up four wickets and made the difference in the end because all the important wickets were in his name.”Chopra also reserved special praise for Tushar Deshpande, who delivered under pressure in the final over to seal the game.“Tushar Deshpande came into the team and Brijesh Sharma wasn’t there, and what a change in the end because Tushar Deshpande was standing between a win and a loss. Tushar Deshpande executed those yorkers beautifully. Thumbs up with both hands for executing under pressure,” he observed.Deshpande finished with figures of 1/24 in three overs and held his nerve in the final over, conceding just four runs while dismissing Rashid Khan when Gujarat needed 11 off six balls.Earlier in the innings, Dhruv Jurel played a standout knock, scoring 75 off 42 deliveries to anchor Rajasthan’s innings. Chopra praised his maturity, especially after being promoted up the order this season.“Before that, Dhruv Jurel. They have taken a big call this season to make him bat at No. 3, and he was absolutely stellar. He batted almost till the end. He scored his first Test century at this ground only. Very good guy. I love him to bits. I feel very happy when he does well. Then their two openers. In my opinion, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the most explosive openers of this league,” he said.Alongside Jurel, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (31 off 18) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (55 off 36) provided Rajasthan with a strong start at the top.On the other hand, Chopra pointed out shortcomings in Gujarat’s chase, suggesting that better planning could have changed the result.“GT, this match was yours. There are problems in batting. Shubman Gill’s injury, of course, didn’t help, but wickets fell at regular intervals. I thought it was a slightly haphazard chase. You could have won this game had you constructed it slightly better,” Chopra observed.

Despite a solid 73 off 44 from Sai Sudharsan, Gujarat lost momentum after his dismissal. From a strong position of 107/1 in 10.3 overs, the innings unraveled, allowing Rajasthan to complete a dramatic turnaround.