Rajasthan Royals Vaibhav Suryavanshi (ANI Image)
New Delhi: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Saturday shared an emotional Instagram story originally posted by Rajasthan Royals after the franchise’s IPL 2026 campaign came to a heartbreaking end.
A valiant effort from the 15-year-old, who scored a brilliant 96 off 47 balls in Qualifier 2, went in vain in the end as Rajasthan Royals suffered a seven-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans and were eliminated from the tournament.Sooryavanshi, who was seen wiping tears in the dugout after the defeat, reposted Rajasthan Royals’ heartfelt message after the franchise failed to reach the final.
“I still can’t believe how quickly feelings change over 20 times. Tonight is painful. It hurts so bad. There is sadness, frustration, disappointment and a lot to sit with. Credit to him, Shubman Gill and Gujarat Titans were brilliant tonight,” Read this post.“To everyone who believed in this young team, stood by us, defended us and encouraged us during all 16 matches this season, thank you. We are grateful beyond words. But we’re also sorry. We’re sorry we couldn’t give you the night you deserve. Sorry we let you down when it mattered most,” I read.“This one will stay with us. We will continue to do so until we come back and become better next season.” He said as well.Sooryavanshi missed a century for the second match in a row but showed his class again with a 47-ball 96, an innings that included eight fours and seven sixes at New Chandigarh.
The knock pushed Rajasthan Royals, who last won the IPL title in 2008, to a massive tally of 214/6 in 20 overs. In reply, Gujarat Titans chased down the target with a 18.4-run lead, powered by a century from captain Shubman Gill, to secure a place in the final.Sooryavanshi enjoyed a brilliant first full season in the IPL, amassing 776 runs at an impressive strike rate of 237.31.
Having beaten the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins during the two-month-long competition, Suryavanshi has reinforced the belief that he is a rare talent capable of serving Indian cricket for years to come.After receiving endorsements from several former cricketers, including legendary pacer Sunil Gavaskar, Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara also indicated that the young left-hander is ready for the highest level.Sooryavanshi’s performance against world-class bowlers is proof that he is more than ready to represent India, Sangakkara said after Rajasthan Royals’ exit.“You never know if someone is ready until they play. And with everything Vaibhav has shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he is more than ready to take on any challenge you throw at him. I am sure he will get that call-up very soon,” he added.” The Sri Lankan said.He added: “He had a lot of maturity, he took responsibility for that opening partnership well for us this season.”