Pat Cummins had a front-row seat to one of the most breathtaking assaults of IPL 2026, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper came away as a certified admirer of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. After watching the 15-year-old destroy his bowling, Cummins described the Rajasthan Royals youngster as his “new favourite player” and had nothing but praise for the fearless way he played at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Sooryavanshi continued his remarkable rise with yet another blockbuster innings, smashing 103 off just 37 balls against SRH. His knock, decorated with five fours and 12 sixes, electrified Jaipur and underlined why he is being spoken about as one of the brightest young talents in world cricket. Even though Rajasthan Royals eventually went on to lose the match after SRH chased down 229 for a five-wicket victory, Sooryavanshi remained the biggest talking point of the night.
The teenager made an immediate statement against Cummins, launching the SRH captain for six off the very first ball he faced. He only received four deliveries from the Australian quick, but the intent was unmistakable. Sooryavanshi showed no fear, no hesitation and no respect for reputation, continuing the same aggressive approach he has shown earlier this season against bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood.
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After the match, Cummins was full of admiration for the youngster’s batting and attitude. “I think he’s my new favourite player. He hits the ball so hard, it’s great to watch,” Cummins said. “You have to be right on the money as a bowler. If you are not, it’s going a long way. It’s impressive.”
“𝙑𝙖𝙞𝙗𝙝𝙖𝙫 𝙎𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙮𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧”#SRH captain Pat Cummins is in all awe of the 1️⃣5️⃣-year old youngster 🧡🩷#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RRvSRH | @rajasthanroyals | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/qwHnvtPRvO
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 25, 2026
“He has had a great start to his career, and I like the way he plays. He takes the game on.” Pat Cummins also spoke about his own return to competitive cricket, saying there were naturally some nerves involved. “Really happy with the win. You are never quite sure how it is going to come out first game,” he said.
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He added that SRH’s batting depth and calm dressing-room atmosphere gave the team confidence throughout the chase. From Abhishek Sharma to Ishan Kishan, the Sunrisers kept finding the right answers, but Sooryavanshi’s explosive hundred ensured he was the player everyone remembered.
