Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to be one of the most fascinating stories of IPL 2026 — a 15-year-old who watches cartoons before matches and then goes out to break records on the big stage.A subdued outing with the bat could not stop the teenage sensation from scripting history as Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs in Lucknow on Wednesday. Sooryavanshi managed just 8 off 11 balls, but his brief stay was enough to etch his name into the record books.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!At just 15 years and 26 days, he became the youngest player ever to reach 500 IPL runs, surpassing Prithvi Shaw. He also became the fastest to the milestone by balls faced, getting there in just 227 deliveries — bettering the previous mark held by Glenn Maxwell.Despite the lean outing, Sooryavanshi remains Rajasthan Royals’ top-scorer this season with 254 runs. Remarkably, he has already smashed two half-centuries, both coming off just 15 balls — making them the joint third-fastest fifties in IPL history.Cartoon talks, cricket dominanceHowever, it was his light-hearted post-match interaction that truly captured fans’ imagination. Asked about his mindset at an age when most kids are glued to cartoons, Sooryavanshi responded with disarming honesty.“Dimaag me kuch nahi chalta hai. Aaj bhi har din match se pahle hum bhi cartoon dekhte hain, aadat hai dekhne ka (smile). Abhi bhi hum cartoon dekh rahe hain, par focus game par bhi hai (Even today I watch cartoons before every match, but focus is on game too),” he said with a grin.The innocence of the response quickly went viral, perfectly capturing the duality of a teenager balancing childhood habits with elite-level cricket.And despite the quiet knock in Lucknow, the youngster is already looking ahead with confidence.“Accha karenge agla match me. Jeet ke 2 points liye, aage badi playoffs ki taraf,” he added.WATCH:Ravindra Jadeja leads RR’s chargeRavindra Jadeja anchored the win for Rajasthan Royals with a fine all-round performance. His unbeaten 43 and a crucial wicket earned him the Player of the Match award.RR captain Riyan Parag admitted his side could have pushed closer to 180, but the bowlers, led by Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, ensured the total was more than enough.The win lifted Rajasthan Royals to second in the standings, but once again, it was their cartoon-loving teenage prodigy who stole the show.
