MI vs RR

A young Superman has descended on Indian cricket from another planet. His name is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. In the comics, the character of Superman was born on the planet of Krypton where the inhabitants are technologically more advanced than humans and have superior strength. Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav also seems to be from another planet, judging by the kind of shots he plays. The youngster's approach to batting is a high-risk, high-reward style that has seen him win several important battles against the world's best bowlers. Former cricketer and now commentator, Irfan Pathan, says that Sooryavanshi targets the best bowler in the rival side and smashes him to demoralise the entire team. The way in which Sooryavanshi tore apart Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood in two successive matches of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament left the spectators gasping with awe. So far, in the four innings that he has played in the IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi has scored a total of 200 runs at an average of 50 and a phenomenal strike rate of 266.66. He has hit 18 fours and 18 sixes. The young lad now has possession of the Orange cap for the highest scorer. Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot during the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in Guwahati on Friday, April 10. Also ReadA cricketing tsunami, but can Vaibhav Suryavanshi be another Sachin? Won the battle against Bumrah The fearsome Bumrah is India's top-most fast bowler right now. Sooryavanshi is the rising star. It was but natural that the clash between these two in the IPL series would be a much-awaited contest for all the fans. It finally took place when the Rajasthan Royals played against the Mumbai Indians on April 7. But the way in which Sooryavanshi handled the experienced fast bowler showed clearly that he is a cricketing superstar who will serve India with distinction for years to come. Unfazed by the big occasion, Sooryavanshi banged the very first ball from Bumrah for a six. A couple of balls later, another hit came into the stands. Bumrah is 32 years old and is unarguably the best fast bowler in the world today. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, at 15 years, is less than half the age of Bumrah. The teenager is yet to play for his country, but already many experts are saying that he's one of the best batters in the world. The confidence and audacity of the young lad even drew a wry smile from Bumrah himself. Perhaps the spearhead of India's bowling attack recognised that the youngster had something special in him and had no animosity towards the lad. What made Sooryavanshi's feat even more astonishing was the fact that even experienced power hitters like Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head have not been able to hit Bumrah for a six. But here was this lad pulling it off like it was an everyday affair for him to face Bumrah and hit sixers. Same treatment for Aussie Hazlewood In the very next match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday, April 10, he dealt similar punishment to Josh Hazlewood by hitting the Aussie fast bowler for three 4s and one 6 in a single over. Josh is 35 years old (20 years senior to Sooryavanshi), and has played 76 Test matches, 96 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 60 T20 matches for his country. He has taken 516 international wickets across all formats. So, Josh is vastly more experienced than Sooryavanshi, who has not played even one match for the Indian senior team. But such was Sooryavanshi's dominance that Josh had no answer. Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot during a practice session ahead of an IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in Guwahati on Friday, April 10. What makes him successful? What are the qualities that make him such a successful hitter? Sooryavanshi has established himself as a "clean hitter" through a combination of biomechanics, bat speed and high-volume training. His ability to strike the ball cleanly at such a young age is driven by superb hand-eye coordination that nature has gifted him. Sooryavanshi has a backlift that has a lateral pick up. He cocks his wrists in such a manner that it creates a power-packed whipping motion when his bat makes contact with the ball. It also generates incredible bat speed. Also ReadIPL under Sooryavanshi spell: 15-yr-old hits 78 off 26 balls in easy RR victory Tough training from young age His ability to play aggressive shots is built on rigorous practice. Since childhood, he has practiced in high-volume sessions, facing 400-500 balls per session, with a focus on lofted shots rather than defensive training. He possesses the ability to pick up the length of the ball very early, allowing him to dominate international-level bowlers, including those clocking more than 140 kmph. Added to all these physical factors is his mental strength. Sooryavanshi has natural courage and focuses on dominating the game rather than being awed by the reputation of the bowler. This mindset allows him to execute his shots cleanly even when under pressure. Comparing Sooryavanshi with Jaiswal Before Tuesday night's game against the Mumbai Indians, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had hit 68 sixes in 378 balls in T20 cricket. That means one six for every 5.6 balls. On the other hand, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is also one of the very best T20 openers in India, had hit 160 sixes in 2,490 balls – that means one six every 15.6 balls. That is a stark difference. Jaiswal is a star big hitter, but Sooryavanshi is unmatchable. However, Jaiswal's contribution that evening against the Mumbai Indians was also immense. He remained not out on 77 from 32 balls with ten 4s and four 6s for a strike rate of 240.63. Sunil Gavaskar's opinion Sunil Gavaskar, one of the finest opening batsmen that India has ever had, is highly impressed with Sooryavanshi. After Sooryavanshi's grand show for Rajasthan Royals, Sunny praised the young lad's dominant playing style and his ability to spot the length and line very quickly. But Gavaskar cautioned the media not to over hype the young lad. High expectations can break a player and ruin a good career, he said. Furthermore, Gavaskar also brought up a very important point. He said that as time passes, the rival teams and coaches will study Sooryavanshi very closely. They will try to figure out what causes him to buckle. The drawback could be a flaw in his playing technique against a certain type of delivery or an inadequacy in mental attitude. Maybe there is something that can rattle his composure. The youngster will come under the scanner, every detail will be minutely scrutinised and exploited. The real test will come then. His future success will depend on how well he can cover his weaknesses or even turn them into his strengths.

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