Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Sends Clear Message To Shubman Gill's GT Ahead Of Qualifier 2
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, has made his intent clear ahead of Rajasthan Royals' (RR) IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 clash against Gujarat Titans (GT).
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showed no regrets in missing out on the fastest IPL century after his knock of 97 off 29
- "If you score 100, 200, or even 300, but team does not win, then those runs hold no value," Sooryavanshi said
- "We are looking to go in with a good mindset and positive intent," he said ahead of GT vs RR Qualifier 2
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi narrowly missed out on breaking Chris Gayle's record for the fastest-ever IPL century, getting out for 97 runs off 29 balls in the IPL 2026 Eliminator. But for the 15-year-old boy wonder, there is no regret in missing out on the record. Instead, showing maturity beyond his years, Sooryavanshi expressed that he would much rather score 80 than 100 if it meant that his team won the game. Sooryavanshi also revealed that he would not change his aggressive intent in Rajasthan Royals' (RR) Qualifier 2 clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Friday.
Sooryavanshi shared that his father had ingrained in him the "team first" philosophy from a very young age.
"Since childhood, my father has always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred, or even a triple hundred, but the team does not win because of it, then those runs hold no value. They may only for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team. Cricket, in the end, is a team game," Sooryavanshi said, speaking to JioStar.
"So, if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if we still do not win despite me scoring a century, then that 80 means more to me than the hundred. The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will get to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So, it benefits both me personally and the team as well," he added.
Sooryavanshi also made his intent clear for Qualifier 2, where Rajasthan Royals will go up against Shubman Gill-led GT.
"We are looking to go in with a good mindset and positive intent and continue doing what the whole team has done throughout the tournament. We should continue to enjoy the game, which we always do, not take the pressure of a big match, and back our strengths. As a team and as a unit, we want to reach the finals and hopefully lift the trophy," he said.
The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi is currently the favourite to win the 'Most Valuable Player' (MVP) award in IPL 2026, having smashed 680 runs in 15 games at a strike-rate of 242.85.
Rajasthan Royals