New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi heaped praise on teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, calling him the best buy of tournament history by Rajasthan Royals.

RR signed the teenage prodigy for Rs 1.1 crores during the IPL 2025 mega auction as he became the youngest IPL player at just 13. In his debut IPL season, Sooryavanshi became the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket, smashing 101 off 38 deliveries against Gujarat Titans. After his historic debut, RR retained him ahead of the 2026 mini auction.

“Best buy of any player in history @Vaibhavsooryava by @rajasthanroyals,” Modi posted on X.

On Wednesday, Sooryavanshi unleashed carnage during his breathtaking 29-ball 97 that helped Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on Wednesday. His Player of the Match performance at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh saw him climb to the top of the IPL 2026 Orange Cap race, having amassed 680 runs in 15 matches for the Royals this season.

During his sensational batting show against SRH, Sooryavanshi broke the record for most runs by an uncapped player in an IPL season, surpassing the previous record held by fellow RR batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had scored 626 runs in IPL 2023. He has now made 680 runs this season.

In the process, the 15-year-old batting prodigy has now hit the most sixes in an IPL season, having cleared the ropes 65 times this season, breaking West Indies great Chris Gayle’s record at the start of his knock and taking just 15 balls to go past the record. His 65 maximums are also the most sixes ever hit by a player in a T20 tournament or series.

Moreover, he is now level with Gayle’s record of four IPL innings with 10+ sixes. The first instance when Sooryavanshi smashed more than 10 sixes in a knock came during his maiden IPL ton against GT last when he hit 11 maximums.

Sooryavanshi also became the first-ever player to score 600 runs in any T20 tournament. He needed 17 runs to get there and reached the landmark on the second ball of the third over.

After his 97-run knock on Wednesday, the youngster climbed to the top of the orange cap list with 680 runs, 28 clear of second-placed B Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans (GT).

–IANS

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