“Quite attractive” – Hardik Pandya is surprised by Vaibhav Suryavanshi after RR’s win over MI
kumaralokekma
Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya praised Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi after their recent Indian Premier League 2026 encounter. Pandya repeatedly patted the 15-year-old batsman’s chest after the match at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, April 7.
Rajasthan Royals recorded a resounding 27-run win over the five-time champions in a rain-interrupted match. On being invited to bat first, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryavanshi took advantage of the favorable conditions for batting. The opening pair decimated the visiting bowling attack inside the powerplay overs.
After the match, a moment of handshake between Hardik Pandya and Vaibhav Suryavanshi was seen in the camera. Pandya stopped, looked impressed and patted the 15-year-old’s chest.
In the post-match presentation, Pandya said that the coaching staff of Mumbai Indians had discussed Suryavanshi during their preparations. Pandya said he was impressed by how the young left-hander played aggressive shots against top fast bowlers without backing down.
“It’s fascinating to see a 15-year-old boy the way he plays. Also, there’s so much buzz about him in the build-up to the game. So yes, the way he bats, the kind of fearlessness he has, it’s amazing to see. I wish him all the best,” Pandya said.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi dominated Jasprit Bumrah
Vaibhav Suryavanshi targeted Jasprit Bumrah during his explosive innings of 39 runs in just 14 balls. The left-handed batsman hit a six over mid-on against Bumrah on the very first ball. Moments later, he stepped back and pulled a short ball off the ace pacer for another maximum.
Yashasvi Jaiswal led the innings well with Suryavanshi and scored an unbeaten 77 runs on 32 balls. The opening pair stitched a quickfire 80-run partnership that included nine sixes between them, helping Rajasthan Royals post 150/3 in 11 overs.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi has shown no signs of the second season blues in this tournament. Earlier he scored a half-century in 15 balls against Chennai Super Kings and also played an impressive cameo against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, proving himself against a quality IPL bowling attack.
Mumbai Indians lose while chasing a big target
Chasing the target of 151 runs, Mumbai Indians’ top order collapsed under pressure. Ryan Rickelton scored eight runs, while Rohit Sharma could score five runs. Suryakumar Yadav was also out for six runs, reducing the visiting team’s score to 23/3 within three overs.
Tilak Verma and Hardik Pandya tried to rebuild but could not accelerate. Sherfane Rutherford took advantage of some fielding flaws and scored 25 runs from eight balls. However, Sandeep Sharma completed a sharp low catch to end his cameo and seal the game.
Rajasthan Royals bowlers worked hard to restrict Mumbai Indians to 123/9. Nandre Berger and Sandeep Sharma took two wickets each, while Ravi Bishnoi also took two wickets, helping Rajasthan Royals easily defend their score at the Barsapara Stadium.
After defeating MI, Rajasthan Royals remain on top with 6 points and a huge Net Run Rate (NRR) of +2.403. Mumbai Indians slipped to seventh place with one win from three matches.
Also read: Shubman Gill injury update: Gujarat Titans captain’s return date for IPL 2026 revealed
