Guwahati, April 8 (NationPress) Anil Kumble, the former captain of India, praised the fearless style of Rajasthan Royals’ player Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as he faced India’s leading fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah during a rain-affected IPL 2026 match against the Mumbai Indians (MI). Kumble remarked that the young talent makes facing one of the world's finest bowlers seem effortless.

Rajasthan Royals secured a convincing victory, defeating MI by 27 runs, bolstered by a spectacular 80-run opening partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, marking their third consecutive win in the IPL 2026 season.

Jaiswal ignited the innings with an explosive start, smashing Deepak Chahar for four boundaries and a six, accumulating 22 runs in the first over. Sooryavanshi then greeted Bumrah with a six over mid-on and followed it up with another six over deep square leg, propelling the team to a challenging total of 150.

Kumble highlighted Sooryavanshi’s daring shot selection during the powerplay and his strategic approach toward Bumrah as a crucial aspect of the match.

"Sooryavanshi makes it look easy against one of the world’s best bowlers. He hit a six on the first ball and expertly set up Bumrah. Typically, we see Bumrah controlling batters, but this time, Sooryavanshi outsmarted him, anticipating a slower ball on the third delivery and hitting it for another six," Kumble shared with JioStar.

"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showcased exceptional batting prowess, particularly with his striking ability and impressive consistency, maintaining a strike rate close to 300 and scoring over 30 runs consistently, which is remarkable," he added.

On the other hand, MI struggled to a score of 123/9 in the allotted 11 overs, with all five bowlers from RR contributing to the wickets. Analyzing MI's chase, Kumble noted a lack of clarity and intensity in their bowling and batting efforts.

"The Mumbai Indians appeared to lack purpose and aggression with the ball, which reflected in their batting. Chasing 151 in 11 overs was always going to be challenging, but the intent shown by the Rajasthan Royals bowlers was evident. They effectively combined pace and strategy," Kumble observed.

"Unlike Deepak Chahar's full deliveries, they focused on hitting the deck hard. Sandeep Sharma's reliability as a fast bowler was again evident, proving to be a challenge for Rohit Sharma. MI seemed to have a chance when Rutherford was batting, but that hope faded quickly," Kumble concluded.