rajasthan royalsYoung star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remains one of the biggest talking points in IPL 2026, but head coach Kumar Sangakkara The 15-year-old is urged to have patience and perspective. Fired up the tournament with fearless batting against top bowlers Jasprit Bumrah Like Josh Hazlewood, Sooryavanshi got a reality check when he bagged a golden duck for Praful Hinge against Sunrisers Hyderabad. “My message to Vaibhav is simple: Enjoy everything. Whether it’s a hundred in 35 balls, a fifty in 15 balls, or a duck on the first ball – you can score runs and you can fail. That’s part of cricket,” Sangakkara said on what is expected from the teenager. The Royals head coach stressed that Soriyavanshi’s rise is not just about talent. “Waibhav is an exciting young player. People talk about talent, but they should also understand the hard work he puts in with the Nets. He is able to read the game well, anticipate situations and plan against the bowlers effectively. “ Sooryavanshi, who scored an impressive 175 in India’s U-19 World Cup earlier this year, has carried that momentum into the IPL. He announced himself with 52 off 17 balls chennai super kings And maintained an astonishing hit rate of over 263 in five games. His fearless approach was evident from the start, first taking on Bumrah with a six and then attacking Hazlewood with a flurry of boundaries. Sangakkara remains unfazed by his latest defeat. “The nature of opening T20 cricket today is all-out attack. He will figure it out as he goes along. For a player like this, sometimes the less said the better. I just hope he remains that 15-year-old kid who goes out and bats with curiosity. That’s how he really improves. Low scores are going to happen to him and others, but I’m happy to have Vaibhav with us.“ Sangakkara also singled out No. 3 Dhruv Jurel for his unbeaten 81 in the 200-plus chase against RCB, underlining his growing importance. “He was always focused on scoring runs – he is a player with high ambitions. He was not tall, but he was strong, had power and skill. Now for Dhruv, he has a clear vision of his path forward at RR and possibly India. That clarity has allowed him to play with more freedom.” At the same time, the captain Ryanparag Although Sangakkara felt the performance was better than the numbers suggested, the search for runs continued. “I think the good thing is that when I watch Riyan bat, he actually bats the ball very well. He bats it through the middle and knows where he wants the ball to go. Sometimes you bat the ball well but you just don’t get the runs. So it’s good that that’s happening now.” Rajasthan Royals suffered their first defeat in five games after being beaten by Praful Hinji and Saqib Hussain in a tight chase and will now hope to make a comeback against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.
