Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reflects on IPL journey, says team success matters most

Rajasthan Royals batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reflected on his IPL journey, recalling his debut century and early success. The youngster stressed that team victories matter more than personal milestones and said he aims to maintain momentum heading into the playoffs.

Hyderabad: Batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals traces his journey to stardom and recalls that scoring a century in his debut IPL season last year is a very proud moment for both him and his family.

“I got the first call from Romi Bhinder sir, who is the team manager. I was in Dubai, and the auction was also taking place there. After the trials, I had spoken to him and he had told me that they would go for me, and then we spoke for two to three minutes on the call while he congratulated me. In my debut match, I hit a six off the first ball, so it was a very special moment and a great memory,” Vaibhav said in a chat with JioStar.

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“ Then, I scored a hundred in the same season, which was a very proud moment for both my family and me. It was only my third match, so it felt great to have such a good start to my IPL career, and I am just carrying that momentum forward now,” said the leading run-getter in this IPL season.

On keeping the team goal ahead of his personal milestones, Vaibhav said: “Since childhood, my father has always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred, or even a triple hundred, but the team does not win because of it, then those runs hold no value. They may only for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team. Cricket, in the end, is a team game.”

“ So, if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if we still do not win despite me scoring a century, then that 80 means more to me than the hundred. The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will get to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So, it benefits both me personally and the team as well,” the star performer of this IPL said.

On his mindset heading into Qualifier 2, Vaibhav said: “We are looking to go in with a good mindset and positive intent and continue doing what the whole team has done throughout the tournament. We should continue to enjoy the game, which we always do, not take the pressure of a big match, and back our strengths. As a team and as a unit, we want to reach the finals and hopefully lift the trophy.”

On returning to practice a day after winning the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026, Vaibhav said: “All this is because of my father. Since childhood, he has made me practise so much that if I do not practise even for a day, it feels like my life has slowed down a bit. So, I do not need to take a very long break; one day is enough. I felt I should practise because the IPL was approaching, and I was also coming back after playing one-day cricket. “

“There was a change in format too, so I needed to work on certain aspects of my game. As far as the support staff is concerned, if we lift the trophy, and hopefully we do, I will dedicate it to them. The way every coach puts in effort behind each player, the way they plan the practice sessions, and how our physios and trainers take care of our recovery, all of it plays a huge role. So, if we win the trophy, it will be for them and for all the RR fans,” he said.

On still watching cartoons, Vaibhav said: “When I used to stay at home two or three years ago and played matches or practised there, whenever I had free time at home, I used to watch cartoons, and I really enjoyed it. Even now, whenever I feel like I need some relaxation or peace, I watch cartoons. I sit comfortably in my room and watch whichever cartoons I like. It feels really nice and reminds me a lot of home.”