Australia captain Pat Cummins has joined the growing list of admirers of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the 15-year-old produced a sensational IPL 2026 season for Rajasthan Royals. Cummins, who led Sunrisers Hyderabad in the recently concluded edition, faced the teenage opener twice during the tournament and came away convinced that Indian cricket has uncovered a genuine superstar.
Sooryavanshi first announced himself in unforgettable fashion with a jaw-dropping 36-ball century at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. He then backed it up with another blistering knock, this time smashing 97 off just 29 balls in the second meeting between the two sides.
For a batter who is still only 15, the level of power, confidence and shot-making on display left a huge impression on one of the best fast bowlers in world cricket. Pat Cummins admitted that the buzz around Sooryavanshi is no longer built on hype alone. The Australian skipper feels the left-hander has already done enough to prove that he is far more than a one-off sensation.
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“I’d say (the mood in India) is still a little bit of disbelief. I think he’s got enough credits now that he’s not just a flash in the pan. He’s a real talent,” Pat Cummins told the Sydney Morning Herald. “He’s just a really good hitter of the ball. He’s clearing the boundary by 20 or 30 metres, so your margins for error become really small when someone is that strong and has got so many options. He’s really impressive,” he added.
Sooryavanshi had a slow start against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026, falling for a golden duck in his first outing against them. But what followed was a breathtaking response. In the next two clashes, he took apart the Orange Army attack with 12 sixes in each innings, underlining his ability to bounce back with even greater force.
The Bihar youngster finished the season with 776 runs from 16 matches at an astonishing strike rate of 237.30. His numbers also included a record 72 sixes, the most ever hit by a batter in a single IPL season, along with a world record for the most sixes in a T20 tournament or series.
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That dream campaign earned Sooryavanshi the Orange Cap, Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season, Super Sixes of the Season, and Most Valuable Player of the Season awards. With such a stunning rise, calls for his India debut are only growing louder, and a national call-up for the Ireland and England T20I series would not be a surprise.
