Virat Kohli's Greatest IPL Achievement Now Faces A 'Vaibhav Sooryavanshi' Threat
As Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to rewrite the record books in IPL 2026, he keeps getting ever closer to Virat Kohli's ultimate achievement.
- Virat Kohli's 2016 IPL campaign, where he made 973 runs, is widely regarded as the greatest individual season
- However, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 2026 season, with 680 runs at a strike-rate of 242, could contend for the tag
- If RR win the title, with 15-year-old Sooryavanshi leading the way as the MVP, he could eclipse Kohli's 2016
10 years ago, Virat Kohli redefined batting in T20 cricket. He hit four centuries, a further seven half-centuries and scored 973 runs in a mind-boggling IPL 2016 campaign. It was the perfect example of controlled aggression with unbreakable consistency, and is widely regarded as the greatest individual IPL season till date. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) may have won their first title in 2025, but Kohli had already taken his crown in 2016. But as we head into the climax of the ongoing IPL 2026, Kohli's 2016 crown may be under threat - and it may even happen in front of his own eyes.
Enter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. A 15-year-old who continues to leave the cricket world in utter disbelief with every inning. On Wednesday, in the IPL 2026 Eliminator, Sooryavanshi smashed 97 runs off 29 balls to help Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
The knock has taken Sooryavanshi's total number of runs in just his second-ever season to 680, and placed it firmly amongst the greatest individual seasons in IPL history. And it could still take top spot.
Can 2026 Sooryavanshi cross 2016 Kohli?
Rajasthan Royals have at best two matches left in IPL 2026, so Kohli's mark of 973 will likely be too far for Sooryavanshi. But the 15-year-old's 2026 campaign could still surpass Kohli's sensational 2016 season in terms of impact.
Sooryavanshi's strike-rate in IPL 2026 is a mind-boggling 242.85. Never before has a player scored even 100 runs in an IPL season at a strike-rate of 240 or more. Sooryavanshi has amassed 680. At the age of 15, let me remind you.
In just his sophomore year in the grandest T20 league in the world, Sooryavanshi has made the world's best fast bowlers seem utterly helpless. First ball against Jasprit Bumrah? Six. First ball against Mitchell Starc? Six. First ball against Pat Cummins? Six. At the age of 15, let me remind you again.
Rajasthan Royals are two wins away from reliving IPL glory for the first time since the inaugural year in 2008, with Sooryavanshi the driving force behind their resurrection. He leads the 'Most Valuable Player' (MVP) chart, and could very well win the prize. In just his second season. At the age of 15, let me remind you again.
If RR are to go the distance, they'll have to defeat Virat Kohli and RCB, who are waiting in the final. But if they do, with Sooryavanshi potentially playing a further couple of match-winning knocks, it will be hard to look beyond this campaign as the greatest-ever individual IPL season. Even more so given the context of Sooryavanshi's age, his destructiveness and RR's long wait for a title.
Greatest individual IPL seasons
When it comes to the tag of the greatest individual IPL season, there are a few contenders. Kohli's 2016 stands out, with him being the decade-long face of Indian cricket. But some others deserve a mention.
In 2011, Chris Gayle showed the world how to bat - and destroy - in T20 cricket. He made 608 runs in just 12 games in 2011, and then followed it up with 733 and 708-run seasons in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
What about two other West Indian greats of the IPL? Andre Russell's 2019 MVP year and Sunil Narine's 2024 MVP seasons were special.
Russell's IPL 2019 version is arguably the scariest incarnation of an all-rounder to ever play T20 cricket. Batting mostly at No. 5 or lower, he smashed 510 runs at a strike-rate of 205. He also took 11 wickets. All this for a Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) side that failed to make even the playoffs.
Narine, on the other hand, showed in IPL 2024 how to be the jack of all trades, and the master of them too. 17 wickets at an economy-rate of 6.69 is customary business for him. But Narine was also asked to open the batting, and he delivered 488 runs, including a maiden IPL hundred, as KKR won their third title. Narine gathered 450 MVP points in 2024, the highest seasonal tally by any player.
Finally, Jos Buttler in 2022. Then playing for Rajasthan Royals, Buttler became only the second batter - after Kohli in 2016 - to slam four centuries in a single IPL season. He made 863 runs, but RR suffered heartbreak in the final.
Conclusion
An IPL title, Orange Cap and MVP award, all at the age of 15? History beckons for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. And if the last 12 months are anything to go by, there's every chance Sooryavanshi is able to achieve this too.
Virat Kohli
Rajasthan Royals
Royal Challengers Bengaluru