The 19th edition of the IPL has seen the continuous rise of 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The southpaw is improving with each innings and the latest one was the 16-ball 43 vs PBKS. It helped RR inflict the first defeat of IPL 2026 on PBKS. Vaibhav is already making enough waves and there is chatter of an international debut after the IPL.
Famous in Pakistan Too
His exploits have earned praise beyond the border as well. Pakistani cricket expert Nouman Niaz jokingly said that there is an AI chip installed in him and that's why he's hitting huge sixes. The way Vaibhav has batted against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood in this edition is just unreal.
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"What is that boy! Like WADA does doping checks, he should be sent to some lab, he probably has some AI chip installed in him. He's absolutely unreal, man. I mean, I'm having such high hopes. What a player he is," Niaz said in a video.
"I think he played a little slow (against SRH), should've had a strike-rate of 300," said Niaz as he continued to laugh, amazed by Suryavanshi's batting prowess. Okay, so medically, when you are 18 years old, your entire body starts to shape. Your shoulders become round, muscles are formed, triceps, biceps, and your core is strong because you have peak surge, hormone, testosterone," he added.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Hilarious Response
After RR's win over PBKS, Vaibhav was asked about the 'AI chip' remark and he had a witty response. "Bhagwan ne laga ke dia hai. Upar he bola tha ke bat mein tumhare kuch laga ke de raha hoon. Usi ka istimaal kar raha hoon (God attached it to my bat. He said in heaven that he has attached something to your bat. I am using that)," he replied. Just goes to show how funny and witty the 15-year-old can be.
RR on Course to Enter Playoffs
With 400 runs in nine innings, Vaibhav is currently 3rd among the top run-scorers of IPL 2026. He is averaging 44.44 and has a strike rate of 238.10. RR are in 4th position with six wins and three losses in nine games. Their next game is vs DC on May 1.