'That is the benefit of being so young' - Sunil Gavaskar praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after PBKS vs RR

Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has heaped massive praises on young batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who recently got hold of the Orange Cap with 400 runs after nine innings in the ongoing 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League. 

Gavaskar expressed that he is in awe of the way Sooryavanshi picks the line of the ball very early and then uses it to his advantage to hit the stroke in the intended direction. The former India batter also believes that the 15-year-old belongs to the school of thought where he fears neither the opposition nor the bowler he is up against.

“He made excellent use of the field and picked the line beautifully. The way he strikes the ball with such ease and power is remarkable. The shots he was hitting were brilliant. Even 10 fielders at the boundary would not have been enough. He doesn’t seem to be fazed. That, I think, is the benefit of being so young. You are not worried about anything. You don’t look at the opposition,” Gavaskar said via Star Sports.

Sooryavanshi's 43 off 16 for RR against Punjab Kings on Tuesday in New Chandigarh helped his team gain two crucial points after chasing a 223-run target quite comfortably. Gavaskar believes that the kind of batting the Royals put on display at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium is a testament to how teams are not haunted by any total put up on the board.

“It was similar to what RCB did to GT, or PBKS did to DC, when they chased 260-plus so comfortably. Once one team does that, others start believing they can do it as well, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing. Since then, we’ve had multiple 200-plus chases, and now even 220-plus totals are being chased with balls to spare. It shows how strongly teams believe that no target, even 220 or 240, is beyond reach,” he added.