Vaibhav Sooryavanshi forces ex-India cricketer to change tunes after passing ‘getting hyped way too early’ verdict

Mohammad Kaif couldn't stop praising Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following the 15-year-old's half-century against the Chennai Super Kings.

Heading into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, all anyone could talk about was whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would suffer from a second-season syndrome and whether his performance would dip in the T20 tournament. However, the 15-year-old laid all concerns to rest in Rajasthan Royals' opening match itself, hitting a half-century off just 15 balls. The left-handed batter eventually scored 52 runs off 17 balls, helping the Riyan Parag-led side to make light work of the 128-run chase, winning the match with eight wickets in hand and more than seven overs to spare.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket, (REUTERS)

Sooryavanshi, who became the youngest to score a T20 century last IPL season, has now also forced former India batter Mohammad Kaif to change his tune about the youngster. Taking to X, Kaif said he initially thought there was too much hype surrounding Sooryavanshi and that time should be given to him to make a name for himself.

However, Kaif now believes the left-hander is ready to “graduate” to the next level, as he has the knack of playing quality, entertaining knocks.

“Last season, I thought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was getting hyped way too early. An old-school cricketer, I believe there should be no haste in fast-tracking young players. But a year later, I think he is ready to graduate to the next level. The 15 year boy can entertain and play match-winning knocks,” Kaif wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Last season, Sooryavanshi announced his arrival in IPL in style, hitting the first ball he faced in the tournament for a six off the bowling of Shardul Thakur. He then registered the fastest century by an Indian in IPL history, getting to the three-figure mark off just 35 balls against Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans.

The IPL heroics were followed by Sooryavanshi scoring runs for fun for India U19 in England, Australia and South Africa. He capped off the remarkable run by hitting a match-winning century in the U19 World Cup final against England, where he decimated the opponents' bowling lineup.

RR smash CSK

Rajasthan Royals absolutely smashed the five-time champions CSK on Monday at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Opting to bowl first, the Royals bundled CSK out for 127, with Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger and Ravindra Jadeja picking two wickets each.

Sooryavanshi's half-century then set the tempo for the Royals in the easy chase. In the end, Yashasvi Jaiswal (38*) and Parag (14*) ensured that the Royals got over the line without breaking a sweat.

CSK were without MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis in the match against Rajasthan owing to injuries.