Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer was left stunned by the fearless batting display of Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the youngster powered his side to a five-wicket win at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on May 19 in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Chasing a massive target of 221, Rajasthan Royals rode on Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking 93 off just 38 deliveries to keep their playoff hopes alive. The 15-year-old once again showcased his fearless approach against world-class bowlers, leaving the opposition shell-shocked with his clean hitting.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Langer admitted that Sooryavanshi completely changed the course of the game and highlighted how valuable the experience would be for LSG’s young bowlers.
“Yeah, well, yeah, ultimately if you scored 90… what’d he get, 94 off 36 balls? Um, and he’s the one who inflicted those… those 73 runs off three overs, a lot of that. So, yes, from that point of view, he was the difference. Um, we got a couple of young bowlers who played today who will learn from the experience. They’ll work out how grounding this game is,” Langer said.
The former Australia opener further explained how even some of the world’s premier fast bowlers have struggled to find answers against the young batter this season. Langer pointed to the reactions of bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Anrich Nortje while bowling to Suryavanshi, stating that the youngster’s batting has been “breathtaking.”
“I was saying that the way he plays, it’s… it’s… it’s quite… it’s quite breathtaking, actually. And you know how I judge it? I think the last game, Mitchell Starc, and who’s one of the all-time great white-ball bowlers, he’s bowling and he’s almost… you look at the expression on his face. And Nortje, who’s a world-class international bowler, and Suryavanshi’s hitting them and they… the expression on their faces is such that, ‘What is happening here?’ So, whilst as an ex-batsman knowing how hard batting is, I think what is going on here?,” he added.
Langer also backed the teenage batter to succeed in overseas conditions, including England and Australia. Recalling Sooryavanshi’s performances during his tour Down Under with the India U19 and India A setup, the LSG coach said the youngster possesses a rare ability to adapt, something he compared to legendary Australian batter Don Bradman.
“People say to me, ‘Would Bradman have made so many runs on… in the days where, you know, there was… you know, they could wear helmets or blah, blah, blah?’ And I say, well, he would have adapted. And… and Sooryavanshi is that good, wherever he plays, he’s going to adapt his game because where are they going to bowl to him? Where, honestly, where are they going to bowl to him? So, he’ll adapt. He’ll keep getting better and better, which is scary for world cricket,” Langer concluded.
Vaibhav is currently the holder of the orange cap, having scored 579 runs at a staggering strike rate of 236.32. With his win RR kept their playoff hopes alive and would look to qualify officially by winning their last league game against Mumbai Indians on May 24.
