Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lights up IPL with explosive 43 off 16 as Shikhar Dhawan predicts India future
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered another electrifying performance in the ongoing IPL 2026 season, even though he narrowly missed out on a half-century for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings on Tuesday. The 15-year-old left the opposition stunned with a blistering 43 off just 16 balls, once again underlining his reputation as one of the most fearless young batters in the tournament.
Sooryavanshi’s innings was defined by sheer aggression in the Powerplay, where he tore apart the Punjab bowling attack led by Shreyas Iyer’s side. He struck five towering sixes and three crisp boundaries, completely dismantling the early plans of the bowling unit. Three of those sixes came in the iconic “helicopter” style, a shot made famous by former India captain MS Dhoni. Two of those maximums came off express pacer Lockie Ferguson, while another came against Arshdeep Singh.
The young batter has already earned comparisons with elite modern-day hitters due to his fearless approach against high pace, including performances against bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood earlier in the season. His recent knock took him past Abhishek Sharma to become the top run-scorer of the season, with 400 runs scored off just 168 balls at a staggering strike rate of 238.09. He also became the fastest player to reach 400 runs in a single IPL season, achieving the milestone in just 167 deliveries.
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan praised the youngster’s fearless temperament and hinted that national selection may not be far away.
“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is doing extremely well. I am very impressed by him. The way he is taking on bowlers easily when they are bowling at 145 kmph is fantastic, and the day is not far when he debuts for India,” Dhawan told IANS.
Dhawan also reflected on senior Indian players ahead of the ODI World Cup, backing experience as a crucial factor.
“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are both experienced, and you need experience going into the ODI World Cup, which is only a year away,” he said.
On his IPL allegiance, Dhawan revealed his support for Punjab Kings, noting his past association with the franchise and praising captaincy of Shreyas Iyer.
“I am supporting Punjab Kings as I have played with them before. The future of Shreyas Iyer is bright. The way he is leading Punjab is amazing,” he added.
As IPL 2026 continues to unfold, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise is becoming one of the defining stories of the season, with many already viewing him as a potential future star for Indian cricket.
