Aakash Chopra, the former Indian star, picked Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old RR prodigy, over RCB legend Virat Kohli as the greatest opener in IPL history.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the talk of the town ever since his historic hand in India's iconic Under-19 World Cup triumph. He played a historic knock of 175 runs off just 80 balls, which would remain a long-time record in a 50-over World Cup final.
Virat Kohli, the Indian cricketing legend, has had a legacy of nearly two decades in the IPL. Kohli has not only been a run machine but also consistent over the years, and comparing him to cricketers who have just started their careers seems a very lame choice.
The winner stays on. The contest started with Aakash Chopra picking Sanju Samson over KL Rahul in the choice for best-ever IPL owners. KL Rahul, despite being one of the most consistent performers in the history of the competition, was not picked by Chopra.
He then picked Samson over Yashasvi Jaiswal and then went on to pick Mitchell Marsh, the aggressive Australian opening batter, over the likes of Samson and Rohit Sharma as well. Rohit is the second-highest run-getter in the history of the IPL.
Marsh was, however, picked after the Australian veteran promised some stunning seasons with around 1200 runs over the past two seasons of the IPL. He was then eventually replaced by Shubman Gill.
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Balance over Aggression or Aggression over Balance: Akash Chopra picks Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the supreme opener in IPL history
Aakash Chopra's choices seemed quite strange, as he sometimes picked balance over aggression and sometimes reversed his choices. Chopra picked Abhishek Sharma, the Indian opener known for his aggressive intent, over Shubman Gill, a player who has been the most promising run-scorer over the past four seasons in the IPL.
When it seemed that Aakash Chopra might have picked him for his aggressive intent, he replaced him with Virat Kohli, the legendary Indian player. Kohli, who has over 9000 runs in the IPL and has scored over 500 runs in 12 IPL seasons, is known for his sublime balance, but his lack of intent is a massive concern.
Lastly, Aakash Chopra made an audacious move to replace Kohli with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals youngster. Sooryavanshi has been in stellar form, and he has replaced the legendary Kohli on the list of best opening batters.
Aakash Chopra Picks the Best IPL Opener… and It’s NOT Virat Kohli!#IPL2026 #CricketMatlabCREX pic.twitter.com/aZNXmR9eW6
— CREX (@Crex_live) May 26, 2026Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's undeniable form in IPL 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has played just 32 T20 matches in his career. He has amassed 1,284 runs, having started his career at the age of 14. He became one of the IPL's greatest forces, becoming the youngest-ever debutant in the IPL and also the youngest centurion.
Having played 21 matches in the IPL, he has amassed 835 runs while striking at a career strike rate of 22.86. He has been striking at 232.27 this season and has amassed 583 runs across 14 matches this season, and scored his second century as well.
Sooryavanshi has excelled in handing promising starts to the Rajasthan Royals; however, the playoffs will be a challenge for him. The Rajasthan Royals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator game at the New PCA Stadium.
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