After a historic debut, the prodigious Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returns for his second IPL season with the Rajasthan Royals, aiming to dismantle bowlers and dominate the powerplay.

Turning out for RR last season, the 15-year-old played seven matches, scoring 252 runs, including a blistering 35-ball century and a strike rate exceeding 200, numbers that established him as the next big thing in Indian cricket.

He said that after dominating the powerplay, he aims to value his wicket and push the total towards 200, making it tough for opponents to chase.

“When I was picked, my only goal was to give the team a good start. I wanted to play my game in the Powerplay, and if I got a good start, I wanted to continue and play long without giving my wicket away,” Sooryavanshi told JioStar.

“I knew that if I played my shots, the scenario of the game would change, because chasing 200-plus runs would not be easy for any team. This season, the goal is to win the trophy for the team. My performances and the team’s performances will automatically get highlighted if we win the trophy, and that is the most important thing,” said the youngest IPL debutant, who also smashed 175 in the 2026 U-19 World Cup final earlier this year.

Sooryavanshi revealed that the two cricketers he admired most growing up were West Indies legend Brian Lara and India’s World Cup-winning great Yuvraj Singh— one renowned for crafting match-winning Test innings and the other for decimating opposition bowlers with fearless strokeplay.

“I saw both, Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh, finish matches single-handedly. If they were in, there was no chance for the opponent to come back into the game, and that was something I really liked about them. I made a lot of runs in domestic cricket for Bihar, in league games and probables,” he said.

Sooryavanshi’s childhood coach, Manish Ojha, said what stood out for him when he joined the academy was his fearless attacking intent and impeccable timing.

“In 2018, he came to the academy…it was clear he had potential and a real passion for cricket. He always liked to attack while batting and had beautiful timing. In every session, he would play 400-500 balls and wouldn’t stop unless I gave him a break.

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“In 2022, during the open net sessions, he was given a 40-over slot to bat, 20 overs from new-ball bowlers and then spinners. I noticed he preferred to play only big, lofted shots,” said Ojha.

“I told him…if you go for a big shot on every ball and ignore singles or doubles, you increase your chances of getting out. But he would say, ‘Sir, if I can hit a six on that ball, why take a single?'”