Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earns new fan in Kagiso Rabada: 'There’s not an ounce of fear'
South African pacer Kagiso Rabada lauded 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fearless batting, calling him a rare talent with power and natural flair. Sooryavanshi has impressed by taking on elite bowlers. Rabada, enjoying a strong IPL season himself, emphasized his focus on outsmarting every batter, regardless of their reputation, highlighting Sooryavanshi as an 'X-factor' player.
South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has become the latest global star to be left stunned by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless batting, with the Gujarat Titans quick admitting that the Rajasthan Royals teenager possesses a rare combination of power, confidence and natural flair. Rabada, who has been one of the standout fast bowlers of IPL 2026 with 21 wickets, briefly found himself under attack from the 15-year-old sensation during Gujarat Titans’ clash against Rajasthan Royals earlier this season. Sooryavanshi smashed Rabada for back-to-back sixes in a fearless display that once again reinforced his growing reputation as one of the most destructive young batters in world cricket.
The teenager has already grabbed headlines this season for taking on elite bowlers without hesitation, including Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Against Gujarat, Siraj too was launched for a first-ball six as Sooryavanshi continued his astonishing rise. Speaking to PTI, Rabada admitted he has been fascinated by the youngster’s mentality and fearless approach at such a young age.
"He's a great talent. He's got really fast hands. He's fearless at the moment.
There's not an ounce of fear in his body. That's how it normally is when you're young, it's really fascinating. I think it's great to see in the game of cricket, in the IPL.