Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Watched IPL with his father at 6, broke records and won five awards at 15

At the age of six, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi attended an IPL match with his father as a wide eyed cricket fan dreaming of one day playing on the biggest stage. Nine years later, the 15 year old has not only played in the tournament, he has conquered it.

The Rajasthan Royals opener finished IPL 2026 as the Orange Cap winner, the MVP of the season, the Emerging Player of the Season, the Super Striker of the Season and the winner of the Super Sixes award. He also walked away with more than £30,000 in prize money and an SUV despite not being old enough to legally drive in India for another three years.

More importantly, he won the hearts of cricket fans around the world.

Sooryavanshi ended the season with a staggering 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, producing one of the greatest campaigns in IPL history.

Awards won by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

• Orange Cap Winner – Highest run scorer of IPL 2026 with 776 runs.

• MVP of the Season – Recognised as the most valuable player of the tournament.

• Emerging Player of the Season – Dominated the competition despite being just 15 years old.

• Super Striker of the Season – Rewarded for his astonishing strike rate of 237.30.

• Super Sixes of the Season – Smashed a record 72 sixes during the campaign.

The records he shattered

• Most sixes in a single IPL season – 72 sixes, breaking Chris Gayle's 14 year old record of 59.

• Youngest Orange Cap winner in IPL history – Achieved the feat at just 15 years and 65 days.

• Most powerplay runs in a single IPL season – 521, surpassing David Warner's previous record of 467.

• Most runs by an uncapped player in an IPL season – 776, overtaking Yashasvi Jaiswal's previous mark of 626.

• First player in T20 history to score more than 600 runs in a tournament at a strike rate above 200.

• Fastest batter to 1,000 IPL runs – Reached the milestone in just 440 balls, eclipsing Andre Russell's record of 545.

• First batter in IPL history to hit four consecutive sixes in the opening over of an innings.

• Joint fastest fifty in IPL playoff history – Reached the landmark in just 16 balls in the Eliminator, matching Suresh Raina's long standing record.

The most remarkable part is that Rajasthan Royals did not even reach the final. Yet Sooryavanshi was so dominant that he still finished as the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

From sitting in the stands with his father as a six year old fan to standing on the IPL stage collecting the Orange Cap and MVP trophy at 15, the journey already feels like a movie script.

Indian cricket has seen prodigies before. But what Sooryavanshi has done this season is unprecedented.

A new star is born. And judging by this record breaking campaign, this is only the beginning.