Kamal Ghorui
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to pile up records at a staggering pace in IPL 2026, with the teenage sensation rewriting milestones almost every game and now climbing to the very top of the Orange Cap race. Sooryavanshi’s stunning rise reached another landmark as he surged to the top of the Orange Cap standings, overtaking Virat Kohli after yet another explosive hundred for Rajasthan Royals. Sooryavanshi now has 357 runs from eight matches at an average of 44.63 and a staggering strike rate of 234.87. Interestingly, KL Rahul also moved to 357 runs following his unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings. However, it is Sooryavanshi who sits at the top due to his superior strike rate. Kohli, who had led the charts earlier, has 328 runs at an average of 54.67 and a strike rate of 163.18. The latest surge came through a breathtaking innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where Sooryavanshi hammered a 37-ball 103, his second IPL hundred. The 15-year-old dominated from the outset and set the tone early, even taking on Praful Hinge with four consecutive sixes in the opening over as a statement of intent. He found strong support in Dhruv Jurel, who compiled a fluent half-century, and together they stitched a 112-run stand for the second wicket that laid the foundation for a massive total. Jurel’s composed 51 off 35 balls ensured the pressure never dipped, while Sooryavanshi continued to dismantle the bowling attack with fearless strokeplay. The youngster brought up his half-century in just 15 balls during the powerplay, continuing a remarkable trend this season. He later converted it into a century in just 36 balls, peppering the boundary with five fours and 12 sixes before being dismissed for 103 off 37 deliveries. Late fireworks from Donovan Ferreira added further momentum as Rajasthan Royals finished with a commanding 228 for 6 in their 20 overs.
Orange Cap 2026 standings:
| Position | Player | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | 357 | 44.63 | 234.87 |
| 2 | KL Rahul | 357 | 59.50 | 187.89 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | 328 | 54.67 | 163.18 |
| 4 | Abhishek Sharma | 323 | 53.83 | 215.33 |
| 5 | Heinrich Klassen | 320 | 53.33 | 153.11 |
