New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh praised Rajasthan Royals’ teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after his fearless performance against Mumbai Indians’ talismanic Jasprit Bumrah in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.

The 15-year-old stunned everyone when he smashed a six on the very first ball of Bumrah’s over, a rare sight against one of the best bowlers in the world. Harbhajan, who was on commentary duty, was left amazed by the youngster’s confidence and aggressive mindset, even saluting him for the effort.

Harbhajan also highlighted that such confidence at a young age is a strong sign of a bright future and shows that Vaibhav is prepared to take on bigger challenges ahead.

“This battle between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jasprit Bumrah was one to show who is better. Vaibhav played an amazing shot on the first ball of Bumrah’s over in the RR-MI match. This boy is ready to dominate. Don’t go by his age. Yes, he is 15 years old, but he is ready for the next big step,” Harbhajan told Jio Hotstar.

He further praised the youngster’s fearless approach and belief, adding, “It’s not an easy thing to hit a six on the first ball of Bumrah’s over, especially for a 15-year-old. But the confidence shown by him was great to watch. Salute!”

Talking about the match, the Rajasthan Royals delivered a strong performance to defeat the Mumbai Indians by 27 runs in a rain-affected contest. The win was built on an explosive 80-run opening partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi.

Sooryavanshi scored 39 runs off just 14 balls, including two sixes off Bumrah and three more against other bowlers. Jaiswal was equally impressive, remaining unbeaten on 77 from just 32 deliveries.

With this victory, the Rajasthan Royals continued their strong run in the tournament. They sit at the top of the points table with six points from three matches and an excellent net run rate. Their next challenge will be against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10 at the same venue.

–IANS

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