The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 discourse has been dominated by the rise of Rajasthan Royals' youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The young 15-year-old was expected to have a tough time in the 19th edition of the T20 tournament, considering that it was to be his second season as a player. However, the left-hander has not shown any blues so far, scoring 52 and 31 against the Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Titans in the first two games. However, the youngster's biggest challenge awaits him as he will next face Jasprit Bumrah when the Rajasthan Royals take on the Mumbai Indians at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, April 7.
It is worth noting that Sooryavanshi set the IPL 2025 season on fire by smashing the fastest century by an Indian (35 balls against the Gujarat Titans), but he failed to get going against the five-time champions. He was dismissed for a two-ball duck by Deepak Chahar, and hence, the left-hander would look to make amends.
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After the IPL 2025 season, Sooryavanshi scored runs for fun while representing India U19. He also hit a match-winning 175 off just 80 balls, helping India win the U19 World Cup. His recent exploits have caught the eye of the Mumbai Indians, and the team's bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, vowed to plan well against the youngster, saying the side knows his talent and what he can do on his day.
“Vaibhav is not new. It is his second year. He has already played for one year. The way he has been performing, he has been batting well. We know he's a good player, so our preparation will be on point," Mhambrey told reporters in the pre-match press conference on Monday.
{{/usCountry}}“Vaibhav is not new. It is his second year. He has already played for one year. The way he has been performing, he has been batting well. We know he's a good player, so our preparation will be on point," Mhambrey told reporters in the pre-match press conference on Monday.
{{/usCountry}}"We will prepare for him as we do for the other players,” he added.
Hardik Pandya fit
The Mumbai Indians captain, Hardik Pandya, who missed the previous match against the Delhi Capitals, is fit and will return to lead the side. In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav had captained the franchise, but MI lost against the Delhi Capitals.
Speaking about Hardik, Mhambrey said, “He will be available. He had a couple of good hours in the nets session yesterday. So, he's fit and fine,” said Mhambrey.
“Hardik wasn't injured. He was unwell. That's the reason he missed the previous game,” added the bowling coach.
The Rajasthan Royals have won their opening two matches, while the Mumbai Indians have won one and lost one. The two teams have played 31 matches against each other in the IPL, with MI winning on 16 occasions and RR on 14.