At a glance
- Kagiso Rabada praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless IPL 2026 batting
- Rajasthan Royals teenager has smashed 440 runs at a 236.55 strike rate
- Gujarat Titans quick backs traditional fast bowling in T20 cricket
South African pace star Kagiso Rabada has hailed teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for injecting fresh excitement into IPL 2026 with a fearless batting approach that has left even the world’s best bowlers searching for answers.
The 15-year-old has become one of the defining stories of the season for Rajasthan Royals after smashing 440 runs in 11 innings at a breathtaking strike rate of 236.55, including 40 sixes.
Sooryavanshi’s Fearless Batting Lights Up IPL 2026
Sooryavanshi recently took on Gujarat Titans’ premier quicks without hesitation, launching Rabada for back-to-back sixes before hammering Mohammed Siraj for a first-ball maximum. His fearless approach has also been on display against elite fast bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood.
Speaking to PTI, Rabada admitted the teenager’s confidence and clean striking had caught the attention of the cricketing world.
“He’s a great talent. He’s got really fast hands. He’s fearless at the moment. There’s not an ounce of fear in his body. That’s how it normally is when you’re young, it’s really fascinating.
“I think it’s great to see in the game of cricket, in the IPL. It’s great to see the game is well and truly alive. Who else is going to come in and make headlines of that nature? Let’s wait and see,” said the 30-year-old South African.
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Kagiso Rabada Hails Sooryavanshi’s X-Factor
Rabada also acknowledged the teenager’s rare ability to energise crowds and shift momentum in an instant.
“What I’m thinking is just another batter. And try to get the better of him. It’s almost like a little bit of flair. He’s definitely an X-factor player. Someone that is drawing eyes to the game. Fantastic. Really fast hands. No fear. That’s one hell of a combination,” said the express fast bowler, who has been clocking 150 kmph consistently this season.
Rabada and Siraj Power Gujarat Titans’ Charge
While Sooryavanshi has grabbed headlines with the bat, Rabada himself has been instrumental in Gujarat Titans mounting another strong playoff push.
The South African has formed a formidable new-ball partnership with Mohammed Siraj this season. Siraj’s swing and seam movement combined with Rabada’s steep bounce and relentless Test match lengths have made life difficult for opposition batters during the powerplay.
Rabada has crossed the 20-wicket mark in an IPL season for the fourth time in his career, although the fast bowler insisted personal numbers remain secondary to team success.
“I just feel like coming into a season, whatever the team that you are playing for, this time it is Gujarat, I just feel like I am just going to be here to try my best and that is what I am going to leave it at. And whatever the outcome is, it is what the outcome is going to be,” said Rabada.
Reflecting on his understanding with Siraj, Rabada said their partnership had developed naturally both on and off the field.
“I guess it is forming a partnership and that is pretty much it. He has got a job to do and I have got a job to do. I guess we have bonded a bit off the field too but it is nothing orchestrated really.
“We found out we are bowling together and we try to fulfil that role to the best of our ability. There is no real magic recipe,” he said in a matter-of-fact way.
Also Read: Gujarat Titans Crush Sunrisers Hyderabad to Go Top of IPL Table
Traditional Fast Bowling Making a Comeback in T20 Cricket
Rabada also weighed in on the growing success of traditional fast bowling methods in T20 cricket, pointing to the resurgence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar as another example of disciplined bowling prevailing in a batter-dominated format.
Bhuvneshwar has enjoyed an impressive season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru by repeatedly targeting the off-stump channel rather than relying heavily on slower balls and variations.
Rabada believes quality fundamentals remain effective regardless of the format.
“Not necessarily. There have always been some pacers at the top of the charts when it comes to IPL over the years. Bhuvneshwar, didn’t he get purple cap twice in a row. He is up for it again this year. You can’t deny equality. Equality will always show up.
“If you look at Bhuvneshwar, for example, what has he been doing different? Not much. You can answer that one for yourself,” said Rabada.
Kagiso Rabada on the Balance Between Bat and Ball
The fast bowler also avoided criticism of modern batting standards, insisting cricket’s balance between bat and ball constantly shifts.
“I don’t want to get involved in what’s happening in other batting line-ups, whether they can cope or whether they can’t. If you bowl well, you will get wickets. If you are not really where you would like to be, it’s not going to be that way.
“If you can’t handle the good balls as much as you would like to as a batter, things are not really going to go your way. That’s really the balance of cricket.
“I’m not going to comment on and say that the quality of batting has gone down. Because again, was the quality down when guys were taking wickets before? Or was the quality fluctuating? I don’t know,” added Rabada, fresh from a match-winning performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday night.
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