Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the Rajasthan Royals opening batter, put on quite a show against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Eliminator on Wednesday, smashing 97 runs off just 29 balls, with the help of five fours and 12 maximums. He spared no one as he dispatched Pat Cummins, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge all around the park. Sooryavanshi broke several records but fell short of breaking Chris Gayle's record of the fastest IPL century. The left-handed batter was standing on 97 off 28 balls, but ended up losing his wicket on the very next delivery of the bowling of Hinge.
As Sooryavanshi continues to smash records left, right and centre, no one really knows what more achievements the boy from Samastipur will achieve. Former India batter Aakash Chopra likened the Rajasthan opening batter to AI, saying there are endless possibilities for the youngster.
Chopra said there is a prototype, citing the example of Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut for India at the age of 16. However, he also explained what makes Sooryavanshi different.
Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses fastest IPL 100 by a whisker but mows down hat-trick of records with 12 breathtaking sixes
“Whenever they ask me about Vaibhav, I say I don't know. Because we have a prototype that a 15-year-old Sachin Tendulkar can reach here, because he was so good. But a 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in today's day and age, we've got no idea where this can go and where the rest of the game will go along with it,” Chopra said in a conversation with AB de Villiers on the latter's YouTube channel.
{{/usCountry}}“Whenever they ask me about Vaibhav, I say I don't know. Because we have a prototype that a 15-year-old Sachin Tendulkar can reach here, because he was so good. But a 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in today's day and age, we've got no idea where this can go and where the rest of the game will go along with it,” Chopra said in a conversation with AB de Villiers on the latter's YouTube channel.
{{/usCountry}}“I think that's the AI version, because AI has infinite possibilities. We can't comprehend where it can all go. I think that is where Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has brought us this season,” he added.
‘New generation’
The former South Africa skipper also put forward his desire to see Sooryavanshi play the longest format of the game.
"It's gonna be great to see where the game takes us. And I would love to see Sooryavanshi play test cricket, but maybe that is the new generation kind of player in society, who only plays T20S and ODIs. And that's it, said de Villiers.
"And maybe you'll still get test specialists down the line. Who knows? Hopefully, test cricket stays healthy in the future," he added.
Speaking of Sooryavanshi, he became the youngest player in IPL history to score more than 600 runs in a single edition of the tournament. He also broke Gayle's record of most sixes in a single edition of the IPL.
Sooryavanshi's knock helped the Royals post 243/8 in 20 overs vs Sunrisers in the Eliminator. In the end, the total proved to be enough as the Royals registered a comprehensive 47-run win. The Royals will now face the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday.