The cricketing world cannot stop heaping praise on Rajasthan Royals prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and on May 27 in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he once again showed why every bit of that admiration is deserved for the explosive 15-year-old batter.Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after his dismissal during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 Eliminator cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad (PTI)His fearless approach and aggressive intent from ball one have added a new dimension to modern T20 batting. More importantly, it has put pressure on both experienced campaigners and upcoming talents to elevate their own standards if they want to stay ahead of him in the race for a spot in India’s T20I setup.Sooryavanshi’s blistering 97 off just 29 balls at the New Chandigarh Stadium fell agonisingly short of a historic century, but it shattered long-standing records and crushed SRH hopes as he completely shifted the momentum in Rajasthan’s favour.ALSO READ: Sooryavanshi’s Mullanpur carnage felt less like an innings and more like a direct challenge to India’s T20 hierarchyHe struck at a mind-boggling strike rate of nearly 335, smashing 12 sixes and five boundaries in what turned out to be the defining knock of the Eliminator.It was an innings that will be remembered for a long time, especially considering that SRH skipper Pat Cummins, regarded as one of the finest leaders in world cricket today, was left searching for answers despite multiple tactical plans to stop the teenager.While one captain looked helpless on the field, another captain praised the knock from afar.India’s T20 World Cup-winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav took to social media soon after the match to console the visibly disappointed youngster, backing him for a senior India debut soon and calling him a “star in the making.”Sooryavanshi looked crestfallen after falling three runs short of a century. But his reaction itself showed the standards he has already set for himself.The RR opener has publicly demanded more from his own batting and has even spoken about wanting to break Chris Gayle’s legendary IPL record of 175 in an innings — a feat that genuinely looked under threat with the way he was striking the ball in Mullanpur.“Chin up boy... what a CLASS inning, you’ve taken everyone’s breath away. Star in the making,” Suryakumar wrote on X.Those words, especially coming from India’s T20I captain, will only boost the confidence of the teenager, whose fearless brand of cricket now appears perfectly aligned with India’s aggressive T20 approach.The RR opener has already defied every expectation this season. In IPL 2026, he has scored 680 runs, including a century and four fifties, while also leading the Orange Cap race.Now, with Rajasthan Royals set to face Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on May 29, Sooryavanshi will once again hope to produce another match-defining performance and carry his side one step closer to the IPL final.