Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has showered massive praise on Rajasthan Royals sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the teenager’s breathtaking performance in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against SunRisers Hyderabad. The 15-year-old batter smashed a stunning 97 off just 29 balls in New Chandigarh on May 27, once again proving why he has become the biggest breakout star of the season.
Reacting to the innings on X, Lalit Modi called Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the “best buy in IPL history” and praised the Rajasthan Royals for spotting his talent early. “Best buy of any player in history @Vaibhavsooryava by @rajasthanroyals,” Modi posted.
Rajasthan Royals secured Vaibhav during the IPL 2025 mega auction for ₹1.10 crore after a bidding battle with Delhi Capitals. At that stage, many believed the franchise was investing purely in long-term potential, given that the Bihar youngster was only 13 years old. However, Vaibhav wasted no time in making his mark on the biggest stage.
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Making his IPL debut in 2025, he smashed Shardul Thakur for a six off the very first ball he faced in the tournament. The fearless approach instantly grabbed attention across the cricketing world.
Best buy of any player in history @Vaibhavsooryava by @rajasthanroyals 🙌🏾🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/h3bCYA73bt
— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) May 28, 2026
Vaibhav played seven matches in his debut season and scored 252 runs at an astonishing strike rate of over 200. He also created history by smashing the fastest IPL century by an Indian batter, reaching the milestone in just 35 balls against the Gujarat Titans in Jaipur.
If IPL 2025 introduced fans to his talent, IPL 2026 has firmly established him as a global T20 superstar. Vaibhav currently leads the Orange Cap race with 680 runs in 15 matches while maintaining a phenomenal strike rate of above 230.
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His tally of 65 sixes is now the highest recorded by any batter in a single T20 tournament in world cricket. The teenager has already smashed multiple centuries this season and remains the only teenager in T20 history to score more than 600 runs in a single tournament.
