Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Cricket and Bollywood may live in different worlds, but every now and then, one genius stops both in their tracks. This week, that genius was a 15-year-old boy from Samastipur, Bihar — Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
After Rajasthan Royals’ Qualifier 2 clash against Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, Bollywood’s own Shahenshah Amitabh Bachchan took to his X account to share what millions of cricket fans were already feeling. His words were simple, heartfelt, and instantly iconic:
“Sooryavanshi — A remarkable Surya at the age of 15. At this age, we couldn’t even play marbles and gully cricket properly.”
That one post said it all. Even at 82, Big B — who has seen legends come and go across six decades — was rendered speechless by a teenager.
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A Knock That Left the World Stunned
In the high-stakes Qualifier 2, Sooryavanshi walked out and did what he has been doing all season — taking the game by the scruff of its neck. He smashed 96 runs off just 47 balls, a blazing innings that had the crowd on its feet and bowlers searching for answers. It wasn’t enough to take RR to the final, but it was the kind of innings that burns itself into memory.
This was no flash in the pan. With 776 runs in 16 innings at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.50, including a century, five fifties, and a whopping 72 sixes, Sooryavanshi has provided a mix of consistency and explosiveness unseen in world cricket before. In the process, he also shattered veteran Chris Gayle’s long-standing IPL record for the most sixes in a season.
Big B Is Not Alone
Amitabh Bachchan is far from the only icon who has been stunned. Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and a host of Bollywood stars have all reacted with disbelief and delight to Sooryavanshi’s exploits this IPL season. When a 15-year-old makes the greatest cricketers in history double-take, you know you’re watching something rare.
