Hardik Pandya Is The Real Winner After Gesture For Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Post Fiery IPL Innings For RR vs MI

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's long-awaited duel with Jasprit Bumrah saw the 15-year-old sensation smash two sixes in one over against the pace genius in the IPL 2026 match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday. Sooryavanshi hammered 39 off 14 balls in the rain-curtailed 11 overs-per-side match, as RR reached the 50-run mark in just 2.4 overs. One of many who was left impressed by Sooryavanshi was MI captain Hardik Pandya, who took time out after the game to congratulate Sooryavanshi with a special gesture.

"It's quite fascinating to see a 17 or a 16 year old boy playing the way he played. At the same point of time, we discussed so much about him in the preparation leading up to the game," Pandya said after the game, speaking about Sooryavanshi.

"So yeah, amazing to see the way he bats, the kind of fearlessness he has, the kind of shots he has. I wish him absolute good luck in the future," he added.
 

That's sportsmanship

Hardik Pandya appreciating young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pic.twitter.com/nMMpWdqULZ

— CricketBlaze (@cricketblazeco) April 7, 2026

Talking about the match, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned a rain-curtailed IPL match into a fireworks show as Rajasthan Royals registered a commanding 27-run win over Mumbai Indians here on Tuesday.

Rajasthan amassed an imposing 150 for 3 in 11 overs, riding on Jaiswal's unbeaten 32-ball 77 and Sooryavanshi's explosive 39 after being sent in to bat.

The opening pair laid the foundation with a rapid 80-run stand, peppering the boundary with a flurry of strokes, including nine sixes between them.

Jaiswal anchored the innings with authority, blending elegance with brute force as he struck 10 fours and four sixes, dictating terms from the outset.

Their bowlers then delivered a disciplined effort to restrict Mumbai Indians to 123 for 9.

Under pressure to go over 13 runs an over, Mumbai's chase never really took off. Their top order crumbled. Ryan Rickelton (8), Rohit Sharma (5) and Suryakumar Yadav (6) fell cheaply, leaving MI reeling at 23 for 3 inside the first three overs.

Tilak Varma (14) and skipper Hardik Pandya (9) attempted to rebuild with a few boundaries, but Rajasthan's bowlers maintained tight lines and struck at regular intervals to control the match.

There was a brief lapse in the field, with a couple of misfields and dropped chances, which Sherfane Rutherford capitalised to make a brisk 25 off eight balls.

However, Rajasthan quickly regained control, with Sandeep Sharma lunging forward to complete a stunning low catch to get rid of Rutherford.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Hardik Pandya Mumbai Indians Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 Cricket