Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: A day after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cheekily dismissed the bizarre “AI chip in bat” theory, another moment involving the teenage sensation has taken the internet by storm — this time courtesy of Jos Buttler.Speaking on a podcast alongside Stuart Broad, Buttler revealed he had jokingly texted Jofra Archer to ask if the 15-year-old prodigy was even real.“I actually texted Jofra and asked, ‘Is he AI? Has Elon Musk created this teenage sensation who is just a wizard with the bat?’” Buttler said, breaking into laughter.While clearly tongue-in-cheek, Buttler’s remark perfectly captured the disbelief surrounding Sooryavanshi’s outrageous form in IPL 2026 — a season where the youngster has made the extraordinary look routine.Sooryavanshi’s ‘God-gifted’ reply wins heartsThe viral moment comes just a day after Sooryavanshi himself addressed the growing chatter around his otherworldly performances. When asked about the “AI chip” theory, the Rajasthan Royals prodigy responded with a grin: “Bhagwaan ne laga ke diya hai. Upar hi bola tha ki bat mein tumhare kuch laga ke de raha hoon. Ussi ka istemaal kar raha hoon [God has implanted it and told me he is putting something in my bat. I am just using that.”The witty remark, shared widely on social media, only added to the aura around the teenager, who seems to be rewriting norms with every outing.Buttler in awe of fearless six-hittingBeyond the humour, Buttler was full of admiration for Sooryavanshi’s audacity — especially his ability to take on the world’s best bowlers from ball one.He highlighted a staggering stat involving Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins — arguably three of the finest fast bowlers of this era.“Sooryavanshi, from the first three balls he has faced against Hazlewood, Bumrah and Cummins, has deposited each one over the ropes for six. That is outrageous,” Buttler said.He added that such fearlessness is rare, especially for someone so young.“You can imagine a coach telling a 15-year-old to just watch a ball — and he’s decided to launch each one out of the ground first ball. That’s extraordinary.”Records tumble as teen rewrites historyIf the hype needed numbers to back it, Sooryavanshi has delivered emphatically. The youngster recently became the fastest player in IPL history to reach 400 runs in a season, achieving the milestone in just 167 balls.He surpassed the previous record held by Andre Russell (188 balls in 2019), leaving a trail of established stars behind.With 400 runs in nine matches at a staggering strike rate north of 230, including 37 sixes, Sooryavanshi isn’t just a breakout star — he’s the defining story of the season.
