NEW DELHI: The cricket world is still struggling to come to terms with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s astonishing IPL 2026 Eliminator knock, and now former Pakistan batting great Mohammad Yousuf has joined the growing list of admirers with a comparison that instantly grabbed attention.Less than 24 hours after the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals sensation demolished Sunrisers Hyderabad with a breathtaking 97 off just 29 balls, Yousuf declared that the teenager reminded him of a young Shahid Afridi.“15-year-old cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reminds me of @SAfridiofficial — young, fearless, explosive, full of energy. The future is here!” Yousuf posted on X.The comparison with Afridi — one of cricket’s most destructive hitters during his peak years — only added to the growing hype surrounding the teenage prodigy, whose fearless batting has become the biggest talking point of IPL 2026.
Sooryavanshi’s brutal assault leaves SRH stunned
Sooryavanshi produced one of the greatest playoff innings in IPL history during Rajasthan Royals’ 47-run victory over Hyderabad in the Eliminator at Mullanpur.The teenage opener smashed 12 sixes and five fours at an extraordinary strike rate of 334.48, tearing apart even Australia captain Pat Cummins with three consecutive sixes in one over.His stunning knock powered Rajasthan Royals to 243/8 before SRH were bowled out for 196.Also Read: How the Sooryavanshi storm ended Sunrisers’ title dream after dramatic revivalThe youngster narrowly missed out on becoming the fastest centurion in IPL history, falling for 97 while attempting another six. However, he still shattered multiple records during the innings.Sooryavanshi now holds the record for the most runs by an uncapped batter in an IPL season with 680 runs, surpassing Yashasvi Jaiswal’s tally of 625 in 2023.He has also smashed 65 sixes this season, breaking Chris Gayle’s long-standing IPL record for most sixes in a single edition.Cricket world in awe of teenage sensationDespite missing his century by just three runs, Sooryavanshi revealed that personal milestones were never on his mind during the innings.“I got to know after the game,” he said when asked about narrowly missing the fastest IPL hundred record. “My focus was on hitting a six. I will score centuries in future but the focus was on getting maximum runs for the team.”Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag admitted the team deliberately avoids overloading the youngster with advice.“We don’t have any conversations; just leave him alone. We give him a lot of batting practice and he does his thing,” Parag said.England pacer Jofra Archer, who played a crucial role with the ball in the Eliminator, summed up the growing fear among bowlers perfectly.“The more runs he scores, the more runs we have to defend. He can get 150,” Archer said.With Rajasthan Royals now set to face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, the cricketing world waits to see whether the fearless teenager can produce another extraordinary performance on the biggest stage.
