Vaibhav and Buttler interact before GT vs RR (Screengrab – X)
Rajasthan Royals are set to take on Gujarat Titans in their second match of IPL 2026 at their home stadium in Ahmedabad. The clash represents the ninth match of the season. Before the match, former Rajasthan Royals star and now Gujarat Titans’ explosive player Jos Buttler was seen sharing a touching moment with 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi.In a video shared by the Rajasthan Royals team on social media, Buttler was seen interacting with the youngster and praised him highly, calling him the best batsman he had seen at that age.
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“I told him not to get him too excited, but he’s the best player I’ve ever seen at this age. Imagine where he’ll be at 21 or 25, with the world at his feet. It’s so good to watch. You broke English hearts in the Under-19 World Cup. It’s fantastic. You’re playing well, keep it up.”
“This freedom is amazing to watch,” Butler said in a video shared by RR.
Buttler has a strong association with the Rajasthan Royals, having represented the franchise from 2018 to 2024. During his tenure, he became one of their greatest players, holding the records for the most centuries and highest individual scores for the team. However, before the 2025 season, the Royals chose not to retain him, and he was later picked up by the Gujarat Titans for Rs 15.75 crore.
Meanwhile, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been turning heads since his debut in the ISL, breaking records and showing immense potential. Butler’s glowing endorsement underscores the belief that the young prodigy can become a big star in the coming years.
RR vs GT preview
Rajasthan Royals, led by Riyan Parag, started their IPL 2026 campaign strong with an eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings and will aim to continue their momentum. Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans are looking to bounce back after losing to Punjab Kings in their opening match.The main battle to watch is Ben
Jofra Archer
and
Shubman Gill
with Archer dominating the match in the T20s, dismissing Gill three times in 19 balls. Archer also impressed against CSK with figures of 2/19. But Gill showed good form with a knock of 39 runs in the last match.Another exciting competition will be
Kagiso Rabada
Against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who stunned CSK with a quick fifty. Gill is also close to achieving a major milestone, needing just 95 runs to reach 4000 IPL runs.