Hardik Pandya ‘fascinated’, repeatedly pats Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following teenager's 14-ball blitz in Guwahati

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya was full of praise for the boy wonder Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Here's what he said.

Updated on: Apr 8, 2026, 06:32:32 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

All the chatter ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between the Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians was about how the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would face up against Jasprit Bumrah. In the last year or so, the left-handed batter has decimated every other bowler who has come his way, but Bumrah was expected to be a different kettle of fish. However, once the game got underway at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Sooryavanshi showed the world he's truly here to say, and he won't take a backward step against any pacer, not even against someone like Bumrah.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 14-ball 39 against MI

Sooryavanshi hit a six off the very first ball he faced off Bumrah. The pacer bowled an absolute slot ball, which the left-hander deposited over the mid-on boundary for a maximum. A few balls later, Bumrah went short, but Sooryavanshi rocked back for another six. The left-hander lasted just 14 balls in the middle, but caused absolute mayhem during his stay, hammering 39 runs.

Also Read: Hardik Pandya pins the blame on bowlers for loss against Rajasthan Royals, tells them to take ‘more responsibility’

Hence, it was no surprise that Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya was in awe of Sooryavanshi once the 11-overs-per-side game came to an end. Once Rajasthan Royals sealed a comfortable 27-run win, the players from both sides exchanged pleasantries, and it was then that the cameras picked up a sweet interaction between Pandya and Sooryavanshi.

The senior Indian all-rounder paused for a while as soon as he was about to shake the hands of Sooryavanshi, and the youngster looked overawed by the moment. Hardik then repeatedly patted Sooryavanshi's chest, giving him his ultimate approval and recognising his talent in front of the world.

‘Good luck’

Hardik did not stop there; he had more praise for the youngster. Speaking to the broadcaster, the Mumbai skipper said he was quite impressed by the fearlessness Vaibhav brings to the table.

“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, the kind of shots he has,” Hardik told the host broadcaster after the loss against the Rajasthan Royals.

“I wish him absolute good luck in the future,” he added.

Speaking of the game between Rajasthan and Mumbai, Rajasthan posted 150/3 in 11 overs in a rain-curtailed match after being asked to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 77 while Sooryavanshi scored 39.

Mumbai fell 27 runs short after being reduced to 123/9 after Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma and Ravi Bishnoi returned with two wickets each.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.