Mumbai Indians (MI) bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has played down the massive hype surrounding teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi ahead of the IPL 2026 clash. The five-time IPL champions will take on Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, April 7.
Rajasthan will enter the competition after consecutive wins in its first two matches. Meanwhile, Mumbai’s record has been mixed with one win and one loss. In 31 head-to-head meetings in the IPL, Mumbai have emerged victorious on 16 occasions compared to Rajasthan’s 14 wins.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is not new to the Indian Premier League – Paras Mhambrey
Paras Mhambrey said that Mumbai Indians will maintain their standard tactical preparation against Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The bowling coach emphasized that the youngster is no unknown player as he is already playing his second tournament.
“Vaibhav is not new. This is his second year. He has already played a year. The way he is performing, he is batting well. We know he is a good player, so our preparation will be right. We will prepare for him like we do for other players.”
Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored a century in 35 balls against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 season. Kishore also played a match-winning inning of 175 runs in 80 balls to secure the U19 World Cup for India. However, the left-handed batsman will face a challenge against Jasprit Bumrah.
The Rajasthan Royals batsman had to struggle against the five-time champions last season. During their last match, Deepak Chahar had dismissed Suryavanshi for a duck in two balls.
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Mumbai Indians started their campaign with a successful run chase against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium. Hardik Pandya scored unbeaten 18 runs in 11 balls and took one wicket. The home team achieved victory by achieving the mammoth target of 221 runs in 19.1 overs.
The five-time champions failed to maintain their winning streak in the next match against Delhi Capitals (DC). They faced defeat by six wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
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