The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals phenomenon Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become so dominant in IPL 2026 that even cricket pundits across the border are struggling to find rational explanations for his extraordinary exploits.
Who said it?
Pakistani cricket expert Nauman Niaz, a commentator well known for his theatrical and often controversial takes, recently suggested in jest that the teenage sensation might be using an artificial intelligence chip embedded in his bat to generate his almost superhuman hitting power. Sooryavanshi’s response, characteristically calm and grounded, was as charming as his batting has been breathtaking.
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Humble and Viral Reply
When the Rajasthan Royals media team put the question directly to him, asking playfully whether there was an AI chip in his bat, the youngster did not miss a beat. Rather than dismissing the claim outright, Sooryavanshi offered a beautifully simple explanation rooted in faith.
“Bhagwaan ne lagake diya hai. Upar hi bola tha bat me tumhare kuch lagake de ra hu, ussi ka istemaal kr ra hu,” he said with a smile, attributing his extraordinary abilities not to technology but to a divine gift from above.
Nauman Niaz Left Stunned by Teenager’s Power
The remark was a fitting response to Niaz’s colourful commentary, which came in the aftermath of Sooryavanshi’s second IPL century of the season. Speaking on his show SmashHit, the Pakistani pundit had been visibly awestruck, questioning whether what he was witnessing was even humanly possible.
“Think about it. What is this kid? Get his bat checked. Like WADA conducts dope tests, send him to a lab. He probably used an AI chip in his bat. He is unreal. What a player,” Niaz remarked, before adding further context to his admiration.
“When you’re 18, your body builds muscle, biceps, and triceps. This one is just 16. He was born when Virat Kohli was a world champion. He doesn’t have the power game as much as he has technique. He is a wristy player, plus, if you look at this arc, he used the full 360 degrees.”
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Sooryavanshi’s Record Breaking IPL 2026 Run Continues
While Niaz’s numbers were slightly off on Sooryavanshi’s age, the sentiment behind his words captured precisely what the cricketing world has been feeling throughout IPL 2026. The teenager has not just performed well. He has redefined what is considered possible for a batter of his age and experience.
Against the Punjab Kings on April 28, Sooryavanshi smashed 43 runs off just 16 deliveries, helping Rajasthan Royals successfully chase down a daunting target of 223 runs. That innings took his season tally to 400 runs, making him the fastest player in IPL history to reach that landmark in a single season, achieving the feat in just 167 deliveries.
He shattered records previously held by some of the most destructive hitters the format has ever seen, including Andre Russell, who had reached 400 runs in 188 balls back in 2019, Abhishek Sharma in 195, Nicholas Pooran in 197 and Glenn Maxwell in 200.
Orange Cap, Records and a Generational Talent
The knock also allowed him to reclaim the Orange Cap, placing him atop the season’s run-scoring charts ahead of Abhishek Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Heinrich Klaasen.
His tally of 400 runs from nine innings includes two fifties and a century, all delivered at a strike rate consistently hovering above 200 throughout the campaign.
Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Is the Story of IPL 2026
Earlier in the season, Sooryavanshi had come agonisingly close to registering the fastest century in IPL history, scoring 78 off just 26 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru before falling just short. He then weathered a brief lean patch with scores of 0 and 8, before returning to his imperious best with a century off 37 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, a knock that announced to the world that the dip was temporary and the talent was very much permanent.
