It was a season for the history books Rajasthan Royals' (RR) rising batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi despite failing to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Lost to runners-up Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 2 at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh International Stadium, New Chandigarh.
His performance was so remarkable that the cricket world around the world was at a loss for words. Praising the 15-year-old wonderkid, England batting great Jos Buttler pointed out what kind of impact Vaibhav Suryavanshi had on the season, even more than eventual winners Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
The right-handed batsman spoke about how it felt to watch the RR opener bat in IPL 2026, and felt that Vaibhav is undoubtedly the story of the IPL.
“RCB won the trophy, and they are the story of the IPL. But Vaibhav is almost the IPL this year. He is the story of the tournament. MVP, 700-plus runs, and a faster strike rate than everyone else. It was amazing to watch,” he said during a podcast with former teammate Stuart Broad.
Stuart Broad also joined the conversation, claiming that Vaibhav is already a household name in England despite not having debuted for the Indian team yet.
“I said in my last podcast that I have never seen a player become an international star without playing international cricket. In England, people are talking about him. They may not even be IPL fans, but they are saying, 'Oh my God, have you seen Sooryavanshi? He is incredible.' He has become a world star. “Not like Kohli or anything, but he is probably the first player to become a world star without playing international cricket,” Broad said.
Suryavanshi Won the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs (776) in IPL 2026 with an impressive strike rate of 237.31. He won the Emerging Player of the Season award as well as the Most Valuable Player award for his heroics at such a young age. The former RR batsman further claimed that when he met former RR boss Manoj Badale during the season, he came to know about the popularity Vaibhav already enjoyed in India.
“His influence in India is huge. He is someone everyone is talking about. I was talking to Manoj Badale, the former Rajasthan Royals owner, who told me that in Kolkata, half the stadium had turned up to see Vaibhav and they were all wearing his RR jersey.”
“Imagine the pressure at the age of 15 when you get off the bus and look, but he has soaked up everything. And when he bats, I don't know if Rajasthan Royals have done this or in the tournament, but there is a song for him, this Suryavanshi song, which plays when he is attacking you,” he concluded.
Suryavanshi also broke the long-standing record of sixes held by Chris Gayle, ending the 2026 season by smashing an impressive 72 sixes and capping off one of the most unforgettable individual performances in the IPL edition.
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