3 min readUpdated: Mar 30, 2026 11:52 PM ISTVaibhav Sooryavanshi in action. (Photo by Deepak Malik / CREIMAS for IPL)There was a real sense of excitement that had engulfed most cricket fans in India ahead of the Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings clash in Guwahati on Monday. The anticipation revolved around what teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could offer to the crowd and those watching at home to light up their evening.The southpaw did not disappoint the fans as he blazed his way to a 17-ball 52 in an innings filled with four fours and five sixes. The performance knocked the wind out of CSK’s sails, who may have hoped to dent RR early and make it hard for the hosts to chase the moderate score of 128 runs for victory.RR captain Riyan Parag later said that he and Dhruv Jurel were in awe watching Sooryavanshi bat in the middle, and the left-hander had been assured that he would get to play all 14 games in IPL 2026.“What I tell him is that you’re going to play 14 games, and regardless of what goes on in the game, it shouldn’t bother you. What goes around in the media shouldn’t bother you. You just go out there. He loves to bat. I’ve made sure I’ve told the coaches that he gets as much batting as he wants. And he goes and does some things like that. So I think me and Dhruv, when we were sitting there till the fourth over, we were just in awe. Like, what is happening? Like, how is he doing this? But then I’m really happy to have him in my team,” Parag said in the post-match presentation.Sooryavanshi admitted that he did have a defence in his game, but the plan on Monday in the 128-run chase was to maximise the powerplay. He also added that coaches had encouraged to play his natural, free-flowing game in the chase.“The plan today was simply to execute well in the powerplay – initially the wicket felt a bit sticky, but as the ball got older, it started coming onto the bat nicely.”“I do think about defence, but today our plan was to control the game in the powerplay because in a small chase, that phase is crucial – if the bowling team does well there, the game can tilt their way, but our powerplay went really well. The coaches didn’t specifically say that bowlers would attack me – everyone else was already saying that – but they just told me that they back me and that I should stick to my natural game and play according to the situation,” the left-hander said.Story continues below this adRR next take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Mar 30: Latest NewsIPL 2026: Why can8217;t Cameron Green bowl yet? Ask Cricket Australia, says KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane after MI defeatKharat remand extended, SIT digs into coded contacts, possible accomplicesSassoon hospital doctors successfully remove metal rod pierced through 21-yr-olds legCongress block president murdered in Punjabs Ludhiana; AAP govt sleeping, says WarringRohit Sharma8217;s quickest IPL half century, Ryan Rickelton8217;s 81 help Mumbai Indians break 13-year opening match hoodoo, defeat KKR by 6 wicketsLive BlogIran vs US-Israel War News LIVE Updates: Trump interested in calling on Arab countries to help pay for Iran war, White House says22 seconds agoRBSE Rajasthan Board 12th Result 2026 Live Updates: Arts, Science, and Commerce result to be declared on March 318 minutes agoRajasthan Board RBSE 12th Result 2026 LIVE Updates: Result to be out on March 31 at 10 am, confirms Board48 minutes agoIPL 2026 RR vs CSK LIVE Cricket Score: Rajasthan beat Chennai by 8 wickets in Guwahati1 hour agoDubai, UAE News Live Updates: UAE Air Defences intercepted 11 ballistic missiles, 27 UAVs1 hour ago