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Shubman Gill led his team, the Gujarat Titans, into the IPL 2026 finals with a commanding show with the bat; however, he didn't back away from acknowledging the excellence of Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who once again gave a tough time to GT's bowlers during his longest stay at the crease.
Rajasthan Royals succeeded throughout the season mostly due to their batting prowess, and one of the major forces behind their batting dominance was the youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. However, they crashed out of the Qualifier following a defeat to the Titans.
Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, the Indian captain, reached their third-ever IPL final in 2026, and the skipper looked absolutely overwhelmed. However, despite being on the winning side, Gill could not deny Sooryavanshi's excellence in the game and throughout the competition.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's calmer side revealed in the clash against the Gujarat Titans
Though Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has mostly earned a reputation as a big-hitting batter, he brought out a completely different version of himself against the Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 2 clash at the New PCA Stadium.
With two early blows for the Royals, Sooryavanshi restricted himself from playing his high-risk shots and handled every ball as per its merit. He took some time off to fifty while stitching a partnership alongside Ravindra Jadeja.
However, he reintroduced his brutal side when he smacked the ball to all parts of the ground and accelerated his way into the 90s before being dismissed by Kagiso Rabada. This innings was more of character than of entertainment by the absolutely genius young man.
He is one of the best batters in the world right now: Shubman Gill could not hold back from praising the RR batter
Shubman Gill, the Indian captain, had no option left but to acknowledge the excellence of the young Indian batter. Sooryavanshi, with his first full season in the IPL, has made a statement to the world that India is now filled with raw powerhouses of the game.
With evolving standards of the game, a batter of Sooryavanshi's abilities is still rare, and Shubman Gill has agreed that he has never seen such a batter. He was in total awe of his biomechanics and his fearless approach against all opposition.
"I have not seen anyone bat like the way he (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) bats, and in this format probably he is one of the best batters in the world right now... not just the hitting but his biomechanics and his hand speed, no matter what opposition he plays against... In the years to come, the opposition that he plays against is going to have a tough time," said Shubman Gill after GT's win over the Royals.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shortlisted for Asian Games after magnificent IPL season
The 15-year-old youngster has already taken Indian cricket by storm, and next in line is Asian cricket. He was part of India's Emerging Side in the Asia Cup, the India Youth side for the Under-19 Asia Cup, and the Under-19 National cricket team that won the World Cup.
Sooryavanshi has already showcased his abilities to the wider world, and it is likely to increase as he steps into the highest form of cricket, men's senior cricket. Sooryavanshi became eligible to be selected after he turned 15 amid this IPL season.
His form has been commanding in the IPL, as he finished the season as the highest-scoring batter. With a match left, not many have the chance to surpass his tally of 776 runs in this season, that too with a strike rate of 237.
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