Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Makes IPL History as Youngest Orange Cap Winner
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Shines in IPL 2026
New Delhi, June 1: Rajkumar Sharma, the childhood coach of Virat Kohli, has praised the emerging talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after he achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the youngest player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to secure the Orange Cap.
At merely 15 years and 65 days, Sooryavanshi has set a new record for the youngest Orange Cap winner, surpassing the previous record held by Sudharsan of the Gujarat Titans, who won it at 23 years and 231 days in 2025. Shubman Gill had also held the record in 2023 at 23 years and 263 days.
After the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched their second consecutive IPL title against the Titans in the 2026 final, Sharma remarked, “He’s an exceptional player, and witnessing his outstanding performance at such a young age was truly a delight.”
Sooryavanshi dominated the awards ceremony at the conclusion of IPL 2026, earning accolades such as Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season, Orange Cap winner, and Super Sixes of the Season.
The young batter from Bihar had an impressive tournament with the Rajasthan Royals, amassing a total of 776 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 237.30, making him the highest run-scorer of the season.
His remarkable consistency included a record-setting 72 sixes, allowing him to break several long-standing IPL records and establish himself as a promising figure in Indian cricket.
Sooryavanshi came close to matching Virat Kohli’s record of four centuries in a single season, having been dismissed in the nineties on three occasions—93 against Lucknow Super Giants, 97 in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and 96 in Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans—alongside his century against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He also achieved the milestone of 1,000 IPL runs in record time, needing just 440 balls, surpassing the legendary Andre Russell. In terms of innings, he became the second fastest to reach this mark, accomplishing it in 23 innings, with Shaun Marsh holding the record at 21 innings.
“It feels great, but I’m a bit nervous about giving this interview. I’m not drinking milk these days. Each game requires a different approach. To stay injury-free, I need to focus on my fitness. The support from senior players and the coaching staff has been tremendous, creating a positive environment,” Sooryavanshi shared after receiving the Most Valuable Player award.
In the IPL 2026 final, RCB opted to bowl first, restricting GT to 155/8 in their 20 overs. Washington Sundar (50* off 37 balls) and Nishant Sindhu (20 off 18 balls) were the only players to score above 20 runs. Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29), and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) consistently took wickets.
RCB began their innings strongly with a 62-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer (32 off 16 balls) and Virat Kohli. Although GT fought back, reducing RCB to 132/5, Virat (75* off 42 balls) led RCB to victory with two overs to spare.
This victory marks RCB's second IPL title and their fourth overall in Indian franchise cricket, which includes two Women’s Premier League (WPL) titles.