Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's manifestation comes true after IPL 2026 heroics; ‘Had written down in the Notes app on my phone’
After 16 matches, Sooryavanshi finished IPL 2026 with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, including one century. In fact, the Rajasthan Royals batter is the youngest to win the Orange Cap - given to the batter with most runs in a single season.
Before the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) started on March 28, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had set a target for himself and wrote it down on his Notes app on his phone. After 64 days, Sooryavanshi's manifestation came true as the 15-year-old walked home with as many as five honours, including the Orange Cap and Most Valuable Player of the Season awards, thus leaving behind the likes of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill among top names.
After 16 matches, Sooryavanshi finished with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, including one century. He could have added three more and matched Kohli for most hundreds in an IPL season, had he not be dismissed thrice on nineties, including two in the playoffs alone. The southpaw also bagged the Super Sixes award after breaking Chris Gayle's (59) record by smashing 72.
Speaking at a JioStar show, the Bihar-born lad revealed that he had set a target prior to the season. “Before the season, I had written down in the Notes app on my phone that I wanted to score 700 runs in this IPL season,” Sooryavanshi revealed, who is the youngest-ever to win the Orange Cap and MVP awards in IPL at the age of 15 years and 65 days.
List of IPL 2026 awards by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
| Award | Stats | Prize Details |
| Orange Cap | 776 runs in 16 matches (Youngest winner ever) | ₹10 Lakh |
| Most Valuable Player (MVP) | 436.5 points | ₹15 Lakh |
| Super Striker of the Season | Staggering strike rate of 237.30 | ₹10 Lakh + Tata Sierra Car |
| Super Sixes of the Season | 72 sixes (broke Chris Gayle's record of 59) | ₹10 Lakh |
| Emerging Player of the Season | Voted tournament's best breakthrough talent | ₹10 Lakh |
In fact, if looked closely, Sooryavanshi took home exactly half of his auction price in cash in a singe night alone in addition to a car. Sooryavanshi was bought for ₹1.1 crore during the auction before IPL 2025.
Often sportspersons say in public that they don't look at their own stats. But Sooryavanshi admitted that he used to check how far he got after every match. "After every match, I used to check where I stood, so that was one goal I managed to achieve. It's a great feeling winning all these awards.
"I got to learn a lot from this season. There has been a lot to take in, both on and off the field, and I know that if I want to play for a long time, I have to work on a few things. So, that will be my focus going forward, and I'll look to do well in the upcoming matches,” he added.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi eyes greater targets
With T20s done and dusted as off now, Sooryavanshi wants to master the longer versions of the games - one-dayers and red-ball cricket. He has been named in the India A squad for the tri-nation series involving Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, starting next month.
Speaking about his father's dream, Sooryavanshi said, "Of course, I want to play Test cricket. My father has taught me from day one to prepare for the longer format. He always told me that Test cricket is the purest form of cricket. I haven't had many opportunities yet.
"I've played a few matches in the Ranji Trophy, and it was a bit tough for me. I know that I need to work even harder on my red-ball game.” So far, Sooryavanshi has played eight List A and first-class games each in his career.