Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Lalit Modi calls him RR's best-ever IPL buy
Synopsis
Signed for ₹1.1 crore at age 13, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become the most valuable teenager in IPL history. His 29-ball 97 in the IPL 2026 Eliminator shattered Chris Gayle's six-hitting record, made him the first player to score 600 runs in any T20 tournament, and earned Lalit Modi's verdict: the best buy in IPL history.
Key Takeaways
Lalit Modi declared Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the best buy in Rajasthan Royals history on X .
Sooryavanshi smashed a 29-ball 97 to guide RR to a 47-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator .
His 680 runs in 15 matches lead the IPL 2026 Orange Cap standings, 28 runs ahead of B Sai Sudharsan .
His 65 sixes are the most in any T20 tournament or series, surpassing Chris Gayle's record.
He is the first player ever to score 600 runs in a single T20 tournament.
RR signed him for just ₹1.1 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction when he was 13 years old .
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has drawn the highest praise from Lalit Modi, the former chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), who declared the teenage batting prodigy the best purchase in Rajasthan Royals (RR) history. The endorsement came on the heels of Sooryavanshi's blistering 29-ball 97 that powered RR to a 47-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2026 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh.
Lalit Modi's Verdict
'Best buy of any player in history @Vaibhavsooryava by @rajasthanroyals,' Lalit Modi posted on X. The former IPL chief's words carry historical weight — RR had signed Sooryavanshi for just ₹1.1 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, when the batter became the youngest player in IPL history at age 13. The franchise retained him ahead of the 2026 mini auction, a decision that has since looked prescient.
A Season of Record-Breaking
Sooryavanshi's knock against SRH on Wednesday was the latest in a string of history-making performances this season. His 680 runs in 15 matches have placed him atop the IPL 2026 Orange Cap standings, 28 runs ahead of second-placed B Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans (GT), who has accumulated 652 runs.
The 15-year-old has also broken the record for the most runs by an uncapped player in a single IPL season, surpassing the 626 runs scored by fellow RR batter Yashasvi Jaiswal in IPL 2023. Notably, he is also the first player in history to cross 600 runs in any T20 tournament, reaching the landmark on the second ball of the third over during his Eliminator innings.
Six-Hitting Records Shattered
Sooryavanshi's power-hitting has rewritten the record books in remarkable fashion. His 65 sixes this season are the most maximums ever hit by a player in a single T20 tournament or series, eclipsing the record previously held by West Indies great Chris Gayle. He broke Gayle's record inside the first 15 balls of his knock against SRH.
Additionally, Sooryavanshi is now level with Gayle's record of four IPL innings featuring 10 or more sixes. His first such knock came during his maiden IPL century against Gujarat Titans, when he struck 11 maximums — a performance that also made him the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket, scoring 101 off 38 deliveries.
What Comes Next for RR
Sooryavanshi's Player of the Match performance in the Eliminator has propelled Rajasthan Royals deeper into the IPL 2026 playoff stage. At just 15, he is already reshaping conversations about age, talent, and franchise investment in the IPL ecosystem. The cricketing world will be watching closely as RR advance, with their teenage talisman in the form of his life.
Point of View
RR essentially stumbled into generational talent at a bargain price; the real question is whether the system was designed to find him or simply got lucky. His six-hitting numbers are already beyond Gayle at a comparable age, yet the workload management of a 15-year-old in high-pressure knockout cricket deserves scrutiny that the spectacle tends to drown out. India's age-group pipeline has produced prodigies before who plateaued; the BCCI and RR's long-term handling of Sooryavanshi will matter far more than any single record-breaking knock.
NationPress
13 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Lalit Modi call Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the best buy in IPL history?
Lalit Modi posted on X that Sooryavanshi is the 'best buy of any player in history' by Rajasthan Royals, following the teenager's 29-ball 97 in the IPL 2026 Eliminator. RR had signed Sooryavanshi for just ₹1.1 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction when he was 13 years old.
What records did Sooryavanshi break in the IPL 2026 Eliminator?
Sooryavanshi's knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad took his season tally to 680 runs, making him the first player to score 600 runs in any T20 tournament. He also broke Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes in a T20 tournament or series, reaching 65 maximums for the season.
How many runs has Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored in IPL 2026?
Sooryavanshi has scored 680 runs in 15 matches in IPL 2026, leading the Orange Cap standings. He is 28 runs ahead of second-placed B Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans.
What is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's most notable record from IPL 2025?
In IPL 2025, Sooryavanshi became the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket, scoring 101 off 38 deliveries against Gujarat Titans. He was also the youngest player in IPL history at age 13 when he debuted that season.
Who held the record for most runs by an uncapped player in an IPL season before Sooryavanshi?
The record was previously held by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 626 runs for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023. Sooryavanshi surpassed that mark during the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
