Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: What’s in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bat? Every time the 15-year-old walks out, he takes the attack to the bowlers – smashing them all around the ground, denting their economy rates, and giving his team explosive starts with fearless strokeplay.Ahead of Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2026 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, there was a light-hearted moment involving Ravindra Jadeja and the teenage sensation.Jadeja picked up Sooryavanshi’s bat for a closer look and, while examining it, joked, “Par ye tune karwaya hai ki… Ye Candy jaisa kyun karwaya hai?.”The SRH vs RR clash promises a battle between two of the most explosive opening pairs this season. On one side are Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, while Rajasthan Royals boast Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi at the top.The Head-Abhishek duo has been scoring at a blistering rate of 13 runs per over, while the Jaiswal-Sooryavanshi pair isn’t far behind at 12.5. Leading the charts, however, are Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, who have gone at a staggering 13.91 runs per over.Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi is closing in on a historic milestone. In just 22 matches and innings, he has amassed 901 runs at an average of 42.90 and a stunning strike rate of 215.55, including three centuries and three fifties.The record for the fastest 1,000 runs in men’s T20s is held by Brad Hodge and Shaun Marsh, with Hodge being the first player to reach the landmark.Currently, Sooryavanshi also holds the Orange Cap, having scored 200 runs in four matches at an average of 50.00 and an incredible strike rate of 266.66, including two fifties and 18 sixes.
