![Kagiso Rabada and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi [Source: AFP and AP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1780126554975_VaibhavSooryavanshiandKagisoRabada.jpg?type=hq)
Kagiso Rabada and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi [Source: AFP and AP]
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the breakout story of IPL 2026, but after his breath-taking 96 in Qualifier 2, it was Gujarat Titans’ pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada who deliberately steered the conversation towards the 15-year-old’s age.
Rabada, who denied Sooryavanshi a century by dismissing him, insisted that the numbers on his birth certificate are now irrelevant.
In a tournament where the teenager has repeatedly embarrassed some of the world’s best bowlers, Kagiso Rabada’s words carried weight, framing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not as a novelty but as a genuine force of nature that has disrupted the very best from the very beginning.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Keeps Stunning Everyone With IPL Heroics
Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 campaign has been nothing short of staggering. Across 16 innings he piled up 776 runs at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.31. He smashed one hundred and nine fifties, leaving bowlers helpless with his raw power and remarkable hand speed.
The Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans was a continuation of that freakish run. With Rajasthan Royals in early trouble at 9 for 2, Sooryavanshi launched a counter-attack that included 8 fours and 7 sixes. He raced to 96 off 47 balls, looking destined for a fairytale century before Rabada intervened.
The teenager’s ability to dominate attacks week after week had already made him a phenomenon, but this knockout performance cemented his status as the season’s most talked-about talent.
Kagiso Rabada Makes Honest Admission On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Age
After the match, Rabada spoke with genuine admiration about the youngster he had just battled, while praising his ability to take hold of the bat swing he does.
“He just keeps amazing everyone who watches the game. He’s got such fast hands, and he picks length quickly. He’s got so much energy,” Rabada told JioHotstar.
The South African speedster did not stop there. He directly addressed the question that follows Sooryavanshi everywhere, that is, his age.
“When you’re young, you have so much energy and no fear, and that’s exactly what he’s shown, no fear and just a natural instinct for the game that allows him to perform the way he is performing. At this stage, you throw age out of the window; it doesn’t matter how old he is. It’s amazing what he’s doing.” Rabada added.
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How the Qualifier 2 RR vs GT Battle Unfolded
Rajasthan Royals posted 214 for 6, with Sooryavanshi’s 96 at the heart of the innings. Rabada was the pick of the GT bowlers, returning figures of 4-0-35-2.
He removed Dhruv Jurel cheaply and later returned to end Sooryavanshi’s innings, caught by Prasidh Krishna just four short of a hundred. Reflecting on the bowling plans, Kagiso Rabada was candid about the team’s mistakes.
“The plan was to back our strengths, as we normally do, and hopefully get early wickets. We did get two early wickets, but then they fought back, and we missed our mark by bowling a few too many short balls, where we probably wanted to challenge them a bit more upfront,” he explained.
The Titans’ bowling unit felt they had let RR escape. “We had the game under control until the 19th over. It was pretty tough for Rashid to come on and bowl on this wicket as a spinner against some genuine power hitters. We probably felt that 180-190 was what we should have restricted them to, barring the dropped catch,” Rabada added.
In the end, Shubman Gill’s magnificent 104 off 53 balls made the target look modest, and GT cruised home with seven wickets in hand.
The Numbers That Back the Hype Of Rabada And Vaibhav
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s season is one for the record books. In 16 innings, he scored 776 runs at a strike rate that almost touches 240. His Qualifier 2 knock of 96 off 47 balls came with eight fours and seven sixes.
Kagiso Rabada, meanwhile, has been GT’s leading wicket-taker with 28 scalps in 16 innings at an economy of 9.44. In the knockout clash, Rabada’s 2 for 35 included the prized wicket of Sooryavanshi, yet the teenager still dominated much of the contest.
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