New Delhi, April 9 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a prodigiously talented young cricketer, has gained a large following, with South African batting legend Graeme Smith describing the 15-year-old Indian as a "true superstar" after his performance in the 2026 IPL.
The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi hit a six off the very first ball he faced against Jasprit Bumrah, who is considered one of the best T20 bowlers in the world, as Rajasthan Royals defeated Mumbai Indians by 27 runs in a rain-affected match on Tuesday.
He also hit Bumrah for a six in the same over, scoring 39 runs in 14 balls.
"The IPL has started exactly as I expected, with flatter pitches and high-scoring games," Smith wrote on his blog. "It's always interesting to see how established stars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli perform, but I think this young player from Rajasthan Royals, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, is the one to watch in the early weeks of the tournament."
"He has already shown his ability to hit powerful shots from the very first ball. As a young man, he could become a true superstar during the tournament, and I'm really excited to see how he performs," said the former South Africa captain.
Smith, who was part of the inaugural Rajasthan Royals squad that won the first IPL in 2008, believes that the most popular T20 tournament in the world has revolutionized the global cricketing landscape.
