'Cricket is a team game': Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reveals father's lesson on missed centuries

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the undisputed breakout star of IPL 2026. The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals sensation currently leads the Orange Cap race with 680 runs in 15 matches and has lit up the tournament with a series of record-shattering performances. Yet, despite his remarkable season, he has narrowly missed out on what many believe would have been well-deserved centuries.

Twice this season, Sooryavanshi found himself in the nineties, only to fall short because of his unwavering commitment to the team's cause. Rather than slowing down to secure personal milestones, the teenager continued to play his natural attacking game, putting the team's needs ahead of individual records.


Explaining his mindset on JioStar, Sooryavanshi revealed the lesson his father taught him from a young age.

"Since childhood, my father has always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred, or even a triple hundred, but the team does not win because of it, then those runs hold no value. They may only be for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team,'' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi said.



"Cricket, in the end, is a team game. So, if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if we still do not win despite me scoring a century, then that 80 means more to me than the hundred," he added.

"The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will get to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So, it benefits both me personally and the team as well,'' Vaibhav concluded.

His selfless approach was on full display during the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Batting on a breathtaking 97 off just 28 balls, Sooryavanshi was only one boundary away from breaking Chris Gayle's record for the fastest century in IPL history. Instead of playing it safe and taking a single, he attempted an audacious upper-cut off Praful Hinge. Spotting a fielder late, he tried to adjust the shot but mistimed it, eventually getting caught at deep third man on the 29th ball.

Earlier in the season against Lucknow Super Giants, he produced another sensational innings, smashing 93 off just 38 deliveries. The left-hander tore apart the LSG attack with seven fours and ten towering sixes at a staggering strike rate of 244.73, guiding Rajasthan Royals to a dominant victory before falling short of a century once again.

Stay updated with IPL Live Score and the latest IPL news on Times of India. Follow the IPL schedule and track the race for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap.