15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes 15-ball fifty in RR’s IPL 2026 opener

Vaibhav Suryavanshi turned 15 three days ago, and that is the exact number of balls he took to reach his first fifty of IPL 2026.

The batting sensation from Bihar gave an explosive start to the Rajasthan Royals, firing them to 75 in just 6.1 overs, with fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal going steadily at less than a run a ball.

Suryavanshi was caught brilliantly by Sarfarz Khan for 52 off 17, hitting five sixes and four boundaries. The Royals were chasing Chennai Super Kings' below-par total of 127 in their season opener in Guwahati. The Royals won by eight wickets with 47 balls to spare. 

Jamie Overton's 36-ball 43 was the only decent effort from CSK as they struggled from the off. Sanju Samson, facing his former side for the first time since switching to Chennai, was the first to fall, for six.

When the Royals began, Suryavanshi survived an early scare as Kartik dropped him on the boundary. He made the fielder look silly with a six over long on the next ball.

Matt Henry was the unfortunate bowler who was hit for another six by the teenager as the Royals reached 34/0 in three overs. Anshul Kamboj was treated to a pair of boundaries and a six, before Noor Ahmad got hit for a couple of sixes in the final over of the powerplay. It was a six over long-on that fetched Suryavanshi his second IPL fifty.

Last season, Suryvanshi smashed a 38-ball century against the Gujarat Titans to become the youngest IPL centurion. It was his debut season in the tournament.