Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in Pat Cummins' head: SRH forced into 'Plan B and Plan C' rethink after Jaipur assault

Pat Cummins admitted Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has forced Sunrisers into deeper tactical planning, even beyond their primary bowling strategy.

Published on: May 27, 2026, 13:14:34 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the defining force of IPL 2026. At just 15, the Rajasthan Royals opener has ripped apart bowling attacks across the tournament, smashing 568 runs at a staggering strike rate of 232 while emerging as a serious Orange Cap contender. That tally includes a brutal 36-ball century in Jaipur last month — the third-fastest hundred in IPL history — against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the same side Rajasthan will face again in Wednesday’s Eliminator in New Chandigarh. And that innings still lingers heavily in Pat Cummins’ mind.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had scored a ton against SRH in Jaipur

Until the Jaipur game, the Sunrisers were the only team to have somewhat contained the teenage phenomenon. In the reverse fixture in Hyderabad earlier in the season, Praful Hinge had dismissed Sooryavanshi for a duck in the opening over. But when the two teams met again in Jaipur, the left-hander arrived in full revenge mode. He tore into Hinge immediately, smashing four sixes in the opening over itself.

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Sunrisers did manage to create an opportunity later, but Sooryavanshi was dropped on 32, and the Royals batter made them suffer for it. He stormed to a 15-ball fifty before converting it into a breathtaking 36-ball hundred.

The innings clearly left scars within the SRH camp.

Speaking to JioStar ahead of the Eliminator, Cummins admitted Sooryavanshi has forced Sunrisers into deeper tactical planning, even beyond their primary bowling strategy.

“It’s always a balance of, as a bowler, understanding what you do well and how you’re going to bowl to your strengths,” Cummins said. “But when there are probably one or two players in every lineup who can take the game away from the opposition, you do spend a little bit longer working on a Plan B or Plan C. So, yeah, we’ll plan for him.”

Despite the carnage in Jaipur, Cummins remains confident SRH can neutralise the Sooryavanshi threat this time around.

“Even though he got a hundred against us last time, I thought there were times when we actually bowled quite well to him and kept him quiet. At other times, he got away from us. So, we’ll learn from that,” he added.

Interestingly, despite Sooryavanshi’s century, Sunrisers still won that Jaipur clash, chasing down 229 in just 18.3 overs thanks to attacking half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.

SRH, in fact, completed a league-stage double over Rajasthan this season.

The winner of Wednesday’s Eliminator will face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 at the same venue on Friday after Gujarat’s defeat to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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