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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary IPL 2026 season earned admiration from across the cricketing world, and among those impressed was Australia captain Pat Cummins, who experienced first-hand just how destructive the teenager can be with the bat.At only 15 years of age, the Rajasthan Royals opener emerged as one of the biggest stars of the tournament. Sooryavanshi finished the season with 776 runs and a staggering strike rate of more than 230, establishing himself as one of the most feared batters in the competition.His performances were not built on cautious accumulation. Instead, the teenager attacked relentlessly, taking on some of the finest bowlers in world cricket and often coming out on top. Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Cummins himself were among the elite names who found it difficult to contain the Royals sensation.While his fearless approach grabbed headlines, Sooryavanshi’s success was also rooted in a clear understanding of his game. Throughout the season, he combined power, timing and confidence to deliver match-winning performances that helped Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs.One of his most memorable innings came in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Chasing a place in Qualifier 2, Sooryavanshi tore into the SRH bowling attack with a breathtaking 97 from just 29 deliveries. During that knock, he launched Cummins for three successive sixes, helping Rajasthan secure a commanding victory.Reflecting on the youngster’s rise, Cummins admitted that bowling to Sooryavanshi had become a difficult challenge because of the power and confidence he brings to the crease.“He’s a talent. He hits the ball a long way, he hits very hard. Margins for error are very small. He’s a real talent, pretty tough to bowl to,” Cummins said on Fox Cricket.The Australian skipper was then asked whether it felt unusual facing a player who, by age, should still be in school rather than dominating some of the world’s best bowlers on cricket’s biggest franchise stage.Cummins responded with humour before returning to praise the teenager’s extraordinary ball-striking ability.“Pretty much, and wishing he was in high school, so I didn’t have to bowl at him. It’s just incredible. Like, I don’t think I’ve seen batting like that, let alone from a 15-year-old kid. Whether he’s 30 or 15, he’s just a very good hitter of the ball,” he added.By the end of IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi had become one of the defining stories of the tournament. His record-breaking run tally, breathtaking strike rate and ability to dismantle world-class attacks transformed him from a promising youngster into one of the most talked-about cricketers in the game.And if Cummins’ comments are any indication, even some of the world’s premier fast bowlers are already finding themselves searching for answers against the teenage sensation.
