Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya praised Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following their recent Indian Premier League 2026 encounter. Pandya repeatedly patted the 15-year-old batter on his chest after the match at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, April 7.
Rajasthan Royals registered a commanding 27-run victory over the five-time champions in the rain-curtailed fixture. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi capitalized on the batting-friendly conditions after being asked to bat first. The opening duo dismantled the visiting bowling attack inside the powerplay overs.
Mumbai Indians Captain Hardik Pandya Praises to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi..?❤️#VaibhavSooryavanshi #HardikPandya #RRvsMI #Guwahati pic.twitter.com/OXzOHmD6Kd
— Cricket Guru (@CricketGuru_CG) April 7, 2026After the match, cameras showed a moment between Hardik Pandya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the handshake. Pandya stopped, looked impressed, and patted the 15-year-old on his chest.
In the post-match presentation, Pandya said that the Mumbai Indians coaching staff had discussed Sooryavanshi during their preparations. Pandya said that he was impressed with how the young left-hander played aggressive shots against top fast bowlers without stepping back.
“It's quite fascinating to see a 15-year-old boy playing the way he played. At the same point of time, discussing so much about him in the preparation leading up to the game. So yeah, amazing to see the way he bats, the kind of fearlessness he has. I wish him absolute good luck,” Pandya said.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Dominates Jasprit Bumrah
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi targeted Jasprit Bumrah during his explosive 39-run knock off just 14 deliveries. The left-handed batter smashed a six over mid-on against Bumrah on the very first ball he faced. Moments later, he rocked back and pulled a short delivery from the ace pacer for another maximum.
Yashasvi Jaiswal anchored the innings well alongside Sooryavanshi, scoring an unbeaten 77 off 32 balls. The opening pair stitched a quick 80-run partnership, hitting nine sixes between them, to help Rajasthan Royals post 150/3 in 11 overs.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to show no signs of second-season blues in this tournament. He earlier smashed a 15-ball half-century against Chennai Super Kings and also played an impactful cameo against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, proving himself against quality IPL bowling attacks.
Mumbai Indians Collapse In Massive Run Chase
Chasing a target of 151, the Mumbai Indians top order collapsed under pressure. Ryan Rickelton scored eight runs, while Rohit Sharma managed five. Suryakumar Yadav also fell for six, leaving the visitors at 23/3 inside three overs.
Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya tried to rebuild but could not accelerate. Sherfane Rutherford took advantage of some fielding lapses and scored 25 off eight balls. However, Sandeep Sharma completed a sharp low catch to end his cameo and seal the game.
The Rajasthan Royals bowlers kept things tight to restrict Mumbai Indians to 123/9. Nandre Burger and Sandeep Sharma picked up two wickets each, while Ravi Bishnoi also took two, helping Rajasthan Royals defend their total comfortably at the Barsapara Stadium.
Rajasthan Royals remain top with 6 points and a massive net run rate (NRR) of +2.403 after beating MI. Mumbai Indians dropped to seventh, with one win in three matches.
Also read: Shubman Gill injury up Gujarat Titans captain’s IPL 2026 comeback date revealed
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