Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was hailed as a one-time talent after the IPL blitz | Cricket News

Cricketers, writers and broadcasters praise the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royal opener after his 29-ball 97 in the IPL playoffs.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is known as an all-time talent as the Rajasthan Royals youngster smashed 97 off 29 balls to lead his team to victory in their Indian Premier League clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The 15-year-old also broke Chris Gayle’s record of six runs in an IPL season on Wednesday, reaching 65 in the match and surpassing the former West Indies captain’s 59 set in 2012.

Sooryavanshi’s performance helped Rajasthan to a 47-run victory which gave their hopes of reaching the final.

Rajasthan will play Gujarat Titans in the second round on Friday, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Hyderabad assistant coach James Franklin said the potential of the young batsman was frightening.

“I don’t think anyone has ever seen talent like this. It’s amazing what he’s doing now,” he told reporters. “To think he’s got 25 years left in his career, it’s scary.

“He’s just got better, stronger and more mature with the way he fights.

“There’s a small limit to where you can get him,” Franklin said. “It’s an amazing talent that he can start playing with (the gap) and then start getting players to go to other areas, which goes back to his strengths.”

The tournament’s all-rounder hit 12 sixes in his innings, including three in a row from Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins, but fell short of Gayle’s mark for the IPL’s fastest run in 30 balls.

Sooryavanshi fumbled a top cut to third over, leaving him looking distraught after being dismissed as Smaran Ravichandran completed the catch.

“I thought about it (hundred) later ⁠⁠—I came out of it. At that time I was just concentrating⁠⁠—on contributing as much as possible,” said Sooryavanshi after being named player of the match.

“Hundreds will come, but the goal is to make sure we win trophies.”

Sooryavanshi, who last year hit the first ball he faced in his IPL match for a six at the age of 14 and later became the youngest player to score a T20 century, has scored 680 runs this season at an average of 242.85.

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar analyzed Sooryavanshi’s batting on television, saying that the baby-faced batting style allowed him to play freely.

“That innings was spectacular!” Tendulkar wrote.

The young player was hailed as the best T20 opener by former England captain Michael Vaughan, who encouraged India to select him in the national team.

“He is the best T20 opener in the world. India should pick him,” Vaughan wrote on X.

Cricketer and broadcaster Bharat Sundaresan said that despite the change in the size of the bat and breaking the T20 record, Sooryavanshi’s performance was “time-defining”.

“Eight sixes in the first four innings? What are we looking for? This is unbelievable,” he wrote.

West Indies bowling chief Ian Bishop, who is now a cricket commentator, said the quality of Sooryavanshi’s stroke “rare”.

Former India batsman Mohammed Kaif joined them in praising Sooryavanshi, calling him an “amazing boy” in a tweet.