IPL 2026: Coaches Told Me That I Should Stick To My Natural Game, Says Sooryavanshi

Guwahati: Rajasthan Royals' teen batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Monday said the team's senior players and support staff, including head coach Kumar Sangakkara, have given him the freedom to keep playing his attacking game.

The 15-year-old prodigy blazed away to a 15-ball fifty to power RR to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in their IPL opener here, three days after his birthday.

While he missed the cake cutting on the day of his birthday as he had gone off to sleep, Sooryavanshi belatedly celebrated turning a year older with his excellent performance on the field.

"I didn't really do anything outside - there was supposed to be a cake cutting, but I went to sleep early to avoid the cake-smearing," Sooryavanshi said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Having bowled out CSK for 127, RR completed the chase in 12.1 overs.

"The plan today was simply to execute well in the powerplay -- initially the wicket felt a bit sticky, but as the ball got older, it started coming onto the bat nicely."

Asked about his approach with the bat, Sooryavanshi said, "I do think about defence, but today our plan was to control the game in the powerplay because in a small chase, that phase is crucial - if the bowling team does well there, the game can tilt their way, but our powerplay went really well."

And about his aggressive intent, he added, "The coaches didn't specifically say that bowlers would attack me - everyone else was already saying that - but they just told me that they back me and that I should stick to my natural game and play according to the situation."

When asked about guidance from his his senior opening partner Jaiswal, he said, "My opening partner keeps communicating with me after every ball - he tells me when to take singles, keeps giving me the strike, and encourages me to keep playing my shots if the ball is coming nicely onto the bat."

Pleased with the convincing victory in his first match as RR's full-time skipper, Riyan Parag lavished praise on Sooryavanshi.

"I tell Vaibhav you play 14 games, what goes on in the game and media shouldn't bother you. I tell the coaches to let him play as long. We were in awe watching him in the nets.

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad believed the conditions were difficult in the beginning of the match in which Parag opted to bowl first after winning the toss.

"Felt the conditions at the start were tough, especially against Jofra (Archer). It was tough against medium pacers, spinners were getting assistance as well. Maybe we could've batted deeper but you never know a good score these days so had to keep going," Gaikwad said.