Vaibhav Sooryanshi and Sunil Gavaskar (Image: X)

Finishing IPL 2026 as the Orange Cap winner with 776 runs, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi emerged as the face of the season. The teenage sensation shattered records, entertained fans with fearless batting, and etched his name into IPL history with a breakthrough campaign that few could have imagined.Behind the sixes, centuries and accolades, however, lies a story of inspiration rooted in family. Sooryavanshi revealed that much of his motivation came from his father, a devoted admirer of Sunil Gavaskar, who often shared stories of the Indian batting legend during his son’s formative years. Standing alongside Gavaskar during a post-season broadcast, the youngster shared a heartfelt memory that offered a glimpse into his journey.“Already, my father has told me a lot about you,” Sooryavanshi told Gavaskar with a smile. “When I used to practice on a cement wicket near my house, made by my father, he would stand behind the nets. Back then, I was much smaller than I am today. Whenever I played a few good shots, the bowlers would start bowling bouncers at me,” he added. The teenager admitted that the short-pitched bowling often frustrated him, but his father always knew how to lift his spirits.“I used to get frustrated when they bowled bouncers, and that’s when my father would tell me stories about you. He would say, ‘There was a legend from our time who used to pull the fearsome West Indies fast bowlers for sixes without even wearing a helmet.’ Those stories motivated me a lot. He kept talking about you, and they stayed with me,” Sooryavanshi said.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi capped off a historic IPL 2026 campaign by dominating the season’s awards, winning five major honours: Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season (Strike Rate: 237.3), Super Sixes of the Season (72 sixes), Orange Cap (776 runs). His season featured several unforgettable performances, including a blistering 29-ball 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator and a 47-ball 96 against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, narrowly missing centuries in consecutive playoff matches.