Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Eliminator Knock Leaves Sachin Tendulkar, Rest Of World In Raptures

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to leave viewers gasping and commentators short of words with his breathtaking 29-ball 97 during Rajasthan Royals' (RR) Eliminator clash against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Indian Premier League 2026 on Wednesday (May 27). The match-winning impact of Sooryavanshi's knock was self-evident, yet the teenager continued to be self-effacing in his interactions with the broadcaster.

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Asked by Harsha Bhogle if the boundaries in Mullanpur were too small for him, the 15-year-old southpaw had a two-word answer: "No sir". Even when quizzed about how his dismissal affected the team's eventual total, Sooryavanshi downplayed his role and said "No, even after I got out, we still felt it was possible to score 260-plus. But now, whatever score we have, we will look to defend it and execute whatever plans we have."

Defend they did, registering a thumping 47-run win to set up a Qualifier 2 meeting with Gujarat Titans (GT). Unlike Vaibhav, the rest of the world's reactions to his bewildering knock were soaked with unabashed praise.

World In Awe With Sooryavanshi Special

Who better than Sachin Tendulkar to describe the technical reasons for the Bihar boy's irresistible success? The 'Master Blaster' took to X to express his appreciation for Sooryavanshi after Wednesday's Tornado. "Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bat swing has been outstanding. What’s even more remarkable is how beautifully he clears his front foot to create room for balls aimed at his legs. This freedom allows him to play the way he does.

That innings was nothing short of spectacular!" Tendulkar wrote.

Sachin's former Mumbai Indians batting partner and fellow destructive opener Sanath Jayasuriya echoed his thoughts. "This is some hitting from Vaibhav... Very special talent, such confidence at a young age. Cricket has a special player coming through," he wrote on X.

Another hard-hitting batter of yesteryears, Kevin Pietersen, pointed out what the teenager told him on 'The Switch'. Sooryavanshi said he wants to score a double hundred in a T20 innings and break Chris Gayle’s iconic record of 175 not out. The 'Boss Baby' did break a different long-standing record of Gayle, the highest number of sixes in an IPL edition (Sooryavanshi has hit 65 in IPL 2026, as against Gayle's 59 in 2012).

"Vaibhav told me he wants to score 200 in a T20. I believe him!" Pietersen wrote on social media.

Even outside the cricket realm, the knock and the lad behind it continued to garner attention, with accounts like Netflix India and scores of others paying tribute to Vaibhav's unparalleled talent.

Despite a late wobble with the bat, RR were able to get the job done in the Eliminator, and they would again hope for Sooryavanshi to conjure something otherworldly against GT in Qualifier 2, in Mullanpur on Friday.