New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Chennai Super Kings At the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on March 30, the spotlight shone firmly on 14-year-old batsman Vibhu Suryavanshi.Known for his aggressive stroke play, Suryavanshi has already racked up records across formats. He entered IPL 2026 on the back of a brilliant 175 in the final of the U-19 World Cup, an innings that helped India win the title. He was the second highest run-scorer in the U-19 World Cup with 439 runs in seven matches, averaging 62.71 at a strike rate of 169.49, including one century and three fifties. He also hit a record 30 sixes – the most in the history of the tournament.
Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan He said the season would be an important learning phase for the young batsman, especially with opposition teams studying his game closely.Speaking on JioStar’s IPL show, Pathan explained that after success across formats, Suryavanshi now faces a new challenge as rivals note both his strengths and potential weaknesses.“This IPL season will be a learning experience for Vibhu Suryavanshi. He played in the tournament last year, he has played domestic cricket and he is playing cricket everywhere in all formats.He played in the U-19 World Cup, he participated in the Ranji Trophy with Bihar, and he scored runs everywhere,” said Pathan.“In white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket, everyone is taking notice. Bowlers are doing the same. Since he has played so much cricket since his IPL debut last year, other players are watching his videos and analyzing his weaknesses,” he added.Pathan emphasized that the 14-year-old left-hander must continue to develop his game and address areas of improvement. He added that Suryavanshi’s recent dominance across formats will keep his confidence high as he looks to make a statement.“He has scored centuries with ease in all forms of cricket. When you do that consistently, not just in IPL but in domestic cricket, under-19 cricket and emerging matches, your confidence keeps building,” Pathan said.“In this IPL season, all bowlers will be ready with their strategy, and Vibhu will be looking to prove a point. He can do it by scoring another IPL century. When he scores runs this season, then we can say that Vibhu Suryavanshi has upgraded his game,” he concluded.
