Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 29-Ball 97 Draws Big Verdict From Pakistan
The praise for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to flow in, with Javed Afridi, owner of Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Peshawar Zalmi, now his latest admirer.
- Javed Afridi, owner of Pakistan Super League side Peshawar Zalmi, is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's latest admirer
- "I'm truly blown away by 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 97 runs of pure brilliance!" Afridi wrote on X
- "Talent like this at such a young age is so rare and special. Massive respect and love, kid," he added
The cricket world watched and reacted in awe as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a destructive 29-ball 97 in the IPL 2026 Eliminator, nearly breaking the record for the fastest-ever IPL century. From Sachin Tendulkar to Chris Gayle, greats of the cricket world showered praise on the 15-year-old. Appreciation has also seemingly come from Pakistan, India's neighbouring nation and arch-rival on the cricket field. Pakistani businessman Javed Afridi, who owns Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Peshawar Zalmi, took to social media to express his admiration for 15-year-old Sooryavanshi.
"Man, I'm truly blown away by 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 97 runs of pure brilliance! The way he played total edge-of-the-seat stuff. Talent like this at such a young age is so rare and special," Javed Afridi wrote on his official X account.
"Massive respect and love, kid. You're a future superstar in the making! Keep rising," he added.
Javed Afridi also emphasized the importance of franchise leagues in creating a platform for talents in Pakistan, just like the IPL has done for Sooryavanshi.
"That's exactly why leagues like our PSL are so important that we need to create more platforms so our Pakistan boys get the same chance to showcase their talent & light up the world just like Vaibhav," Afridi wrote.
Javed Afridi is the owner of Peshawar Zalmi, the franchise that won PSL 2026 under the leadership of Babar Azam.
Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi has already broken plenty of records despite only being in his second year in the IPL. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) youngster has lit up IPL 2026, and is currently the highest run-scorer of the ongoing edition. He has 680 runs in just 15 matches, at a mind-boggling strike-rate of 242.85.
Sooryavanshi's exploits have made him the leading force in a rejuvenated Rajasthan Royals side, who now sit just two wins away from the IPL 2026 title.
Pakistan Cricket Team
India Cricket Team
Rajasthan Royals
Peshawar Zalmi