Following the Rajasthan Royals’ exit from IPL 2026, 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryaanshi’s humble gesture went viral. Despite the heartbreaking loss to the Gujarat Titans where he scored 96, Sooryaanshi was seen taking time to click pictures with police personnel, earning widespread praise for his character.
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) batting sensation, Vaibhav Sooryaanshi, spotted clicking a picture with police personnel deployed for the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 clash against the Gujarat Titans at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Friday, May 29.
The RR’s campaign in IPL 2026 came to an end following a seven-wicket defeat to GT in Qualifier 2. After posting a total of 214/6, the Royals failed to defend it as the Titans chased down the 215-run target in 18.4 overs, banking on skipper Shubman Gill’s 104-run knock and his 167-run stand with opening partnership Sai Sudharsan (58 off 32 balls).
The Rajasthan Royals’ bowling attack, led by Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, and Brijesh Sharma, struggled to contain the Gujarat Titans’ explosive batting lineup, with fielding lapses compounding the pressure.
Also Read: Gill, Sai Sudharsan’s run appetite key to GT’s IPL final: Solanki
Sooryavanshi’s Gesture for Police Personnel Goes Viral
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who stole the spotlight with his mature yet aggressive knock of 96 off 47 balls, including 8 fours and 7 sixes, at a strike rate of 204.26, was seen taking time to pose for photographs with police personnel following the match. This gesture has since gone viral on social media.
Despite being heartbroken and emotional following the RR’s exit from the tournament, the 15-year-old displayed notable humility by clicking pictures with police staff before heading back to his team. In a video that went viral on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), Sooryavanshi was seen standing alongside a couple of police officers for a picture.
After taking a picture, the young prodigy expressed gratitude by folding his hands in a humble ‘namaste’ gesture before turning away to head to join the team for the post-match presentation ceremony.
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In the match against the GT in Qualifier 2, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shouldered the responsibility of anchoring the RR’s innings rather than just attacking from the start, demonstrating a level of tactical awareness rare for his age. Understanding the situation of the match after an early fall of wickets, Sooryavanshi showed remarkable composure by stabilizing the innings, shifting his approach from aggressive power-hitting to a more controlled style to build a defendable total.
Despite his effort, the RR bowling attack could not contain the Gujarat Titans’ explosive chase, ultimately resulting in a seven-wicket defeat that ended the Royals’ campaign.
‘Beyond the Power-Hitting’: Parag Decodes Sooryavanshi’s Masterclass
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag was quite effusive in his praise for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the aftermath of their exit, highlighting that the teenager’s performance was far from “blind slogging.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Parag praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s maturity, saying his success comes from smart decision-making rather than reckless hitting. He highlighted the teenager’s ability to assess conditions, adapt, and consistently perform at a high level.
“I can’t really put it in words. There’s one way where you just go and slog and then you get a lot of runs. But the way he’s batted, it’s not just slogging. It’s not blind slogging. You can’t do what you just did today if you were just going from ball one. He calculates, he assesses conditions,” the RR captain said.
“He does literally everything well. I still can’t figure out how. But hopefully he keeps doing that. Hopefully, he represents our country and brings more laurels to the country. And hopefully he keeps on playing for Rajasthan Royals and gets us to that second championship,” he added.
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finished his second IPL season with 776 runs, including a century and 5 fifties, at an average of 48.50 and an astonishing strike rate of 237.30 in 16 matches. Out of the total runs, Sooryavanshi amassed 684 runs through a record 72 sixes and 63 fours, a testament to his explosive batting style throughout the 2026 season.
In his IPL career, Vaibhav has aggregated 1028 runs, including two centuries and 6 fifties, at an average of 44.69 and a strike rate of 228.95 in 23 matches.
Also Read: IPL 2026: Rashid Khan’s career-worst economy in GT vs RR clash