Top News

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer was absolutely taken aback by the fearless batting display from Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The young star led his team to a thrilling five-wicket victory at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on May 19 during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. 

Facing a daunting target of 221, the Royals relied on Sooryavanshi’s stunning 93 runs off just 38 balls to keep their playoff dreams alive. At just 15 years old, he once again demonstrated his fearless style against top-tier bowlers, leaving the opposition in disbelief with his powerful hitting. 

In the post-match press conference, Langer acknowledged that Sooryavanshi completely shifted the momentum of the game and emphasized how invaluable this experience would be for LSG’s young bowlers. 

“Yeah, well, yeah, ultimately if you scored 90… what’d he get, 94 off 36 balls? Um, and he’s the one who inflicted those… those 73 runs off three overs, a lot of that. So, yes, from that point of view, he was the difference. Um, we got a couple of young bowlers who played today who will learn from the experience. They’ll work out how grounding this game is,” Langer said.

Also Read | Jadeja, Axar Omission Signals India’s New Direction

The former Australian opener elaborated on how even some of the best fast bowlers in the world have struggled to find a way to handle the young batter this season. He pointed out the reactions of bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Anrich Nortje while bowling to Sooryavanshi, describing the teenager’s batting as “breathtaking.” 

Langer also expressed confidence in the young batter’s ability to thrive in overseas conditions, including in England and Australia. Reflecting on Sooryavanshi’s performances during his tour Down Under with the India U19 and India A teams, the LSG coach noted that the youngster has a rare talent for adapting, likening him to the legendary Australian batsman Don Bradman. 

“People say to me, ‘Would Bradman have made so many runs on… in the days where, you know, there was… you know, they could wear helmets or blah, blah, blah?’ And I say, well, he would have adapted. And… and Sooryavanshi is that good, wherever he plays, he’s going to adapt his game because where are they going to bowl to him? Where, honestly, where are they going to bowl to him? So, he’ll adapt. He’ll keep getting better and better, which is scary for world cricket,” Langer concluded.

Currently, Vaibhav holds the orange cap, having amassed 579 runs at an incredible strike rate of 236.32. With this victory, RR kept their playoff hopes alive and will aim to secure their spot by winning their final league match against the Mumbai Indians on May 24.