To call Vaibhav Suryavanshi the talk of the T20 circuit is quite the understatement. After showing flashes of promise last season, he has taken a giant leap forward, and the numbers reflect it emphatically.

Having scored 252 runs in seven innings then, he has taken just four games to reach 200 runs this time. His Rajasthan Royals teammate Tushar Deshpande believes the secret to his success lies in his mental strength.

“He plays the ball, not the bowler. He is quite mature for his age, which is extraordinary and something I have not seen in my cricketing career. A 15-year-old boy smashing world-class bowlers! He always has an upper hand on bowlers.”

Ahead of the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Deshpande steered clear of comparisons between the opening pairs of both sides.

“The strengths and weaknesses are completely different. I can’t bowl to Vaibhav in training as preparation to face Travis Head. All four are quite explosive but are different in the way they approach the game or score runs,” he said.

At this stage, it no longer feels like Suryavanshi is adapting to the IPL, but the league is scrambling to adapt to him. If this trajectory continues, the teenager will not just be the story of this season, but a defining force in the T20 landscape for years to come. 

As for ‘Travishek’, the OG Goliaths of T20 power-hitting will be eager to remind the teenager that every new generation must first pass through the old guard.

Published on Apr 12, 2026