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Founder of the IPL, Lalit Modi picked Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the ‘best buy’ in the history of the IPL after the Rajasthan Royals’ INR 1.1 crore buy leaves behind legendary cricketers on the runs tally.
The Rajasthan Royals have qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs and made it to Qualifier 2 following an extraordinary show in the Eliminator against one of the strongest teams in this season of the IPL, the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Rajasthan Royals’ special show can easily be credited to the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old prodigy from Bihar who has taken IPL 2026 by storm. Sooryavanshi has not only amassed runs this season but has rather toyed with the most legendary bowlers.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned out to be Rajasthan Royals golden goose in IPL 2026
After the 2025 mega-auction, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was bought for just INR 1.1 crores by the Rajasthan Royals. Rahul Dravid was the head coach who recognized the immense potential in the 13-year-old star.
For a 13-year-old, a price of INR 1.1 crore seemed exorbitant; however, after he started playing his game in the IPL, the price seemed to be nothing in front of his expertise and impact.
Sooryavanshi has amassed 680 runs this season and currently sits at the top of the Orange Cap leaderboard following his commanding innings in the Eliminator. He played a blistering knock of 97 runs off just 29 balls and could have decked up a century, had he not been dismissed in pursuit of breaking Chris Gayle’s former record.
“Best buy ,” Lalit Modi reserves special praise for the young prodigy
After his incredible show with the bat, the Indian opener has been credited as one of the best buys in the history of the competition. The IPL holds special significance in terms of monetary success for players, as they have been bought for a whopping price of crores.
Lalit Modi, the founder of the IPL, seems to think that he is undoubtedly the best investment ever made by any team in the IPL. This special praise for the cricketer came after his heroic knock in the Eliminator. Lalit Modi posted through his official X handle.
“Best buy of any player in history,” said Modi, tagging Sooryavanshi and RR in his post.
Best buy of any player in history @Vaibhavsooryava by @rajasthanroyals 🙌🏾🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/h3bCYA73bt
— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) May 28, 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking season in IPL 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s record is not only limited to his run-scoring but also includes some dynamic ability to clear the fence with ease. Sooryavanshi has defied his age barriers, having smashed 65 sixes in this edition of the competition.
Sooryavanshi with twelve towering sixes in his 97-run innings broke the record for most sixes in a single playoff game, most sixes in an innings by any Indian cricketer and lastly the most innings in the IPL with 10+ sixes.
Having broken so many records, Sooryavanshi has been striking with a whopping strike rate of 242 in the season and might end up with 700+ runs in the season, as he is yet to play one or two games in this season.
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