Rajasthan Royals Vaibhav Suryavanshi (AP Photo)
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to compile records at a dizzying pace in IPL 2026, with the teenage sensation rewriting milestones in almost every match and now climbing to the top of the Orange Cap race. Sooryavanshi’s astonishing rise reached another milestone as he rose to the top of the Orange Cap standings, leapfrogging Virat Kohli after another explosive hundred for Rajasthan Royals. Sooryavanshi now has 357 runs from eight matches at an average of 44.63 and an impressive strike rate of 234.87. Interestingly, KL Rahul also moved to 357 runs after his unbeaten 152 runs against Punjab Kings. However, it is Sooryavanshi who sits at the top due to his superior strike rate.
Kohli, who led the charts earlier, has 328 runs at an average of 54.67 and a strike rate of 163.18. The latest surge came through a stunning innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where Sooryavanshi scored a 37-ball 103, his second IPL hundred. The 15-year-old dominated from the start and set the tone early, even taking on Praful Hinge with four consecutive fours in the opener as a statement of intent.
He found solid support in Dhruv Jurel, who compiled a fluent half-century, and together they stitched a 112-run stand for the second wicket that laid the foundation for a massive total. Gurriel’s 51 off 35 balls ensured that the pressure never let up, while Sooryavanshi continued to dismantle the bowling attack with brave strokes. The youngster notched up his half-century in just 15 balls during the power play, continuing the impressive trend this season. He later turned it into a century in just 36 balls, crossing boundaries with five fours and 12 sixes before being dismissed for 103 off 37 deliveries. Late fireworks from Donovan Ferreira added further momentum as Rajasthan Royals finished with 228 for 6 in 20 overs.
Orange Cup 2026 standings:
| position | player | Runs | middle | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaibhav Suryavanshi | 357 | 44.63 | 234.87 |
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur Rahul | 357 | 59.50 | 187.89 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | 328 | 54.67 | 163.18 |
| 4 | Abhishek Sharma | 323 | 53.83 | 215.33 |
| 5 | Heinrich Claassen | 320 | 53.33 | 153.11 |
