Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Heartbroken, Breaks Down After Rajasthan Royals Miss Out On IPL 2026 Final
Rajasthan Royals' 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was left heartbroken after his team failed to reach the IPL 2026 final.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 96 off 47 balls in Rajasthan Royals' IPL 2026 loss to Gujarat Titans
- Sooryavanshi was heartbroken after the Royals failed to qualify for the final
- In social media videos, the youngster hid his face with a towel while sitting in the dugout
Rajasthan Royals' 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was left heartbroken after his team failed to reach the IPL 2026 final. Sooryavanshi was in tremendous form as he slammed 96 off just 47 deliveries, but it was all in vain as GT clinched the match by 7 wickets. Shubman Gill slammed a brilliant century, while Sai Sudharsan contributed with a 32-ball 58 as GT booked their spot in the IPL 2026 final with 8 balls to spare. GT will now take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Out of the park, a win in the bag@gujarat_titans reach the final in a sublime fashion
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2026
Scorecardhttps://t.co/eupS8cBPc2#TATAIPL | #Qualifier2 | #TheFinalLeap | #GTvRR pic.twitter.com/zM5Zh9nUc7
Following the loss, Sooryavanshi was visibly upset, and he even broke down in the dugout. In videos going viral on social media, the youngster was seen hiding his face with a towel as he sat in the dugout. He also looked extremely disappointed as he came out onto the field and shook hands with the Gujarat Titans players.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag felt his team posted a competitive total against Gujarat Titans, describing the score as defendable on a pitch that "improved for batting" in the second innings after the heavy roller was used.
He noted that the surface offered grip and assistance to slower deliveries during the first innings and believed a total around 230 was par, while 240 would have been truly challenging.
Parag admitted RR needed early wickets from their openers but failed to get them, which ultimately made the contest difficult for his side.
"It was a par score; it was defendable. I felt that after the heavy roller, it got better in the second innings. In the first innings, the bowlers got some grip, and the slower ones did well. I thought 230 would have been a par score. A score around 240 would have been challenging, but we needed the openers early. It didn't happen, which became tough for us," Parag said after the match.
Parag reflected positively on Rajasthan Royals' campaign, saying the season brought several positives despite the team's relative inexperience. He noted that many did not expect RR to qualify, but praised the young players for stepping up and delivering strong performances, adding that the squad can only grow stronger from here.
"To sum it up in one sentence, there were many positives. We weren't supposed to qualify, given that many players were young and inexperienced, but many youngsters performed well and can only improve from here," he added.
Parag heaped praise on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his intelligent and composed batting, saying the youngster does far more than just power-hitting.
Parag highlighted how Sooryavanshi carefully calculates his innings and shot selection, expressing confidence that he has a bright future ahead and can play a key role in helping Rajasthan Royals win a second IPL title.
"I can't put it into words, there's one way where you slog and score many runs. But he doesn't slog, you could see his innings today - he calculates and plays his shots. I can't say how, but hopefully he will go on to do well in his career, do well for the Rajasthan Royals and win us a second title," he concluded.
(With ANI inputs)
Gujarat Titans
Rajasthan Royals
Royal Challengers Bengaluru