The cricket world has taken note of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again, as the 15-year-old prodigy continues to cement his reputation as a formidable young talent. Playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR), he delivered an electrifying performance by smashing 103 runs in just 37 balls, which was his second century in the glitzy league.
He's my new favourite player: Pat Cummins on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Although the innings ultimately came in a losing effort against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the young batter’s impact was undeniable. His performance drew high praise from the opposition's captain, Pat Cummins. The Australian skipper, clearly impressed by the teenager's display, commended the fearless and bold approach that defined Sooryavanshi’s time at the crease.
"Yeah, I think he's my new favourite player. He hits the ball so hard, it's great to watch. It's good fun. You've got to be right on the money as a bowler, because if you're not, it's going a long way. So he's impressive. Yeah, he's had a great start to his career and yeah, I love the way he plays," Cummins said after SRH's emphatic win over RR on April 25.
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There is currently a widespread debate surrounding the prevalence of "flat" pitches in cricket. Critics have pointed out that these surfaces are making it far too easy for batters to hit both fast bowlers and spinners through the line, sparking concerns that the game has become overly skewed in favor of the batting side. Despite the criticism, Australian skipper offers a pragmatic perspective on the issue. He believes that such high-scoring, batting-friendly conditions are acceptable within the fast-paced entertainment format of T20 cricket.
"Look, maybe. I think it's just the way it is. The wickets might be flat, but it's only 20 overs, you know, so it's not a Test match where it's flat and they've had a bat for five days, so I'm okay with that. It's a maximum of four overs. Yeah, it's fine. It is what it is," he added.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's scorching form in IPL 2026
Sooryavanshi’s spectacular 103-run blitz against SRH briefly propelled him to the top of the Orange Cap leaderboard. However, his stay at the summit was short-lived, as he was overtaken by Sunrisers' Abhishek Sharma during the very same match. Following that high-scoring encounter, Abhishek now leads the standings with 380 runs across eight matches, while Sooryavanshi sits closely behind with a tally of 357.
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Sooryavanshi’s blistering century was achieved in just 36 balls, marking the second-fastest ton ever recorded by an Indian player in the tournament. Remarkably, the record for the fastest century by an Indian still belongs to him, having reached the milestone in just 35 balls against the Gujarat Titans during the previous edition of the IPL.
The match itself was a high-scoring thriller. After being sent in to bat, the Rajasthan Royals posted a formidable total of 228/6. Despite the challenging target, the Sunrisers Hyderabad successfully chased it down with five wickets remaining and nine balls to spare, driven largely by crucial half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (57) and Ishan Kishan (74).