Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become one of the biggest talking points of the IPL 2026 after his breathtaking performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. The young Rajasthan Royals batter played a fearless innings, hammering 97 runs from only 29 balls with the help of 12 sixes and five fours. His explosive knock helped RR secure a comfortable place in Qualifier 2, where they are set to face Gujarat Titans on Friday evening.
The teenager has been one of Rajasthan Royals’ most important players ever since making his IPL debut last season. In the ongoing tournament, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is currently the franchise’s leading run-scorer with 680 runs in 15 matches.
Even before entering the IPL, the youngster had already gained attention for his batting talent. However, during the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Rajasthan Royals surprisingly faced very little competition while bidding for him. A video from the auction has now resurfaced on social media after his latest heroics.
RR were involved in a bidding battle with Delhi Capitals before eventually signing the uncapped batter for Rs 1.1 crore. Delhi backed out at that price and no other franchise entered the race, allowing the inaugural IPL champions to complete what now looks like a bargain deal.
Many teams that ignored Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the auction are likely regretting that decision today. In a season where several expensive stars have struggled to perform, the 15-year-old has delivered outstanding results despite his modest price tag.
Here is the video clip of the IPL auction:
https://x.com/Ashwathama_a/status/2059720671316545702
Click to watch this video directly on X
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will once again play a crucial role when Rajasthan Royals take on Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. Gujarat’s fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada have troubled him earlier with short-pitched bowling but the youngster enters the match full of confidence after his stunning Eliminator innings.
Rajasthan Royals continue to depend heavily on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jofra Archer, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel have contributed in supporting roles. Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, rely mainly on Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler. Although GT’s bowling struggled against RCB recently, the team still possesses a strong attack and could have an advantage if their bowlers bounce back in what is expected to be another high-scoring contest.
