New Delhi: rajasthan royals kick off their IPL 2026 campaign chennai super kings On March 30, at the Balsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, the spotlight was on 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.Known for his aggressive batting skills, Suryavanshi has set records across formats. He came into IPL 2026 with a stunning 175 in the Under-19 World Cup final and it was this innings that helped India win the title. He is the second-highest run-scorer in the seven games of the U-19 World Cup, averaging 62.71 with a strike rate of 169.49, including a hundred and three fives. He also hit a record 30 sixes – the most in the tournament’s history.
Ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, former India all-rounder Irrfan Pathan Said this season will be a big learning phase for the young batsman, especially with rival teams studying his game closely.Speaking on JioStar’s IPL show, Pathan explained that after achieving success across formats, Sooryavanshi now faces new challenges as rivals have taken note of his strengths and potential weaknesses.“This season of IPL is going to be a learning season for Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He played last year, he has played domestic cricket and he is playing cricket in various formats around the world.He played in the Under-19 World Cup, he also played in the Ranji Trophy in Bihar and he scored runs everywhere,” Pathan said.“In both white-ball and red-ball cricket, everyone is watching him. The bowlers are doing the same. He has played a lot of cricket since his IPL debut last year and other players are watching his videos and analyzing his weaknesses,” he added.Pathan stressed that the 14-year-old left-hander must continue to develop his game and address areas for improvement. He added that Sooryavanshi’s recent dominance in all formats will keep him high in confidence while making a statement.“He smashed centuries with ease in all formats of cricket. When you keep doing that, not just in the IPL but in domestic cricket, Under-19 cricket and emerging competitions, your confidence keeps growing,” Pathan said.“This IPL season, all bowlers will be ready with their strategies and Vaibhav will be looking to prove his point. He can do that by scoring another hundred in the IPL. When he scores runs consistently this season, we can say that Vaibhav Suryavanshi has upgraded his game,” he concluded.
