Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 2.0: RR’s teenage star evolves from cameo king to Orange Cap challenger

Also Read: RR pay tribute to Riyan Parag’s journey from Ajinkya Rahane’s protege to captain in emotional IPL 2026 moment

Last season, Sooryavanshi played in only seven games and scored 252 runs at an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 206.55. This year, in six games, he has already reached 246, and at his current pace, he is expected to surpass his last season's score in RR's next game.

In the leaderboard for most sixes hit in IPL 2026, he is second (20), only behind Patidar (22). He is ahead of the likes of Abhishek Sharma (17), who is fourth in the list. Even a big-hitter like Ishan Kishan is ninth with 12 maximums. Meanwhile, Klaasen is 18th with 10 sixes. When it comes to fours, he has hit them 24 times and is third in the list in IPL 2026. Only Kohli (28) and Gill (24) are ahead of him.

He is not just an impact player; he is now a vital cog in the playing XI, influencing matches across phases. He has shown his calibre against elite bowlers, taking on the likes of Sunil Narine, Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood.

This year, Kumar Sangakkara and Riyan Parag are using him as their powerplay enforcer and tempo-setter alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair have clicked together and have a force to reckon with.

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