Vaibhav Suryavanshi is preparing for the biggest game of his career as Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2026 Eliminator in New Chandigarh on Wednesday (May 27).
The winner of this knockout game will face Gujarat Titans In Qualifier 2 on May 29, the loser’s season will end on Wednesday itself. RCB has already qualified for the IPL 2026 final. So, it will be a big pressure game, and it will be interesting to see if Vaibhav continues to play with the same fearless attitude that has made him one of the biggest stars this season.
Anil Kumble wants Vaibhav Suryavanshi to play his natural game
This teenager has surprised everyone with his aggressive batting this season. At just 15 years old, the left-handed batsman has scored 583 runs at a strike rate above 230. He has destroyed bowling attacks throughout the tournament and completely changed matches in just a few overs.
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Ahead of the SRH vs RR eliminator, great Indian spinner Anil Kumble feels that Vaibhav Suryavanshi is very mentally strong for his age and will be eager to prove himself in the big game.
“He could only score four runs against MI in the last game, so this is a new opportunity. I don’t think he sees it as a high-pressure knockout game. He should just go out and play his natural game. He is remarkably mature for a 15-year-old player,” Anil Kumble said on Star Sports’ Amul Cricket Live.
Anil Kumble recalls Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s heroic innings in RR’s winning encounter
Kumble pointed out Rajasthan Royals‘The crucial match against Lucknow Super Giants, where Vaibhav played a brilliant innings in a must-win situation and helped RR stay in the playoff race. He has already experienced both success and failure against SRH this season. Vaibhav was out for duck in the first round but then made a brilliant comeback in Jaipur.
The RR opener attacked the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers fearlessly and made the scoring look incredibly easy with a century in 36 balls. Kumble explained that he believes that the teenagers understand the conditions very well and do not play reckless cricket all the time.
The cricket pundit said, “We saw that in his 90-plus innings against LSG, where he helped Rajasthan win a match. Rajasthan had to win their last two games to qualify, so the innings was also under severe pressure. Yet, he played with the same freedom.”
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Anil Kumble tells what makes Vaibhav Suryavanshi special at the age of 15
The former Indian head coach was really impressed with this Vaibhav SuryavanshiHis mentality does not change even in high pressure matches. Kumble admitted that he will face SRH in the eliminator with the same confidence and freedom.
“I don’t think he will change his approach just because it is an eliminator. If the ball is in his slot, he will go for it. But if the situation demands, he also knows when to take his time and build the innings. That awareness is rare at his age. Be it a league game or a knockout, his mindset remains the same. That’s what makes him so special,” Kumble said.
