Kamal Ghorui
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.”
