Watch: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rushes to touch Sunil Gavaskar & Sanjay Bangar's feet after his blistering 97 in IPL 2026 Eliminator — Heartwarming moment goes viral
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi went viral after touching the feet of Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Bangar following his sensational 97-run knock in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The heartfelt moment happened during the pre-match practice session, where the 15-year-old showed respect towards the former Indian cricketers and commentators.
Be a winner today!
Get the latest cricket updates, Join our community
Rajasthan Royals produced a dominant performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator, securing a massive 47-run victory. The match was expected to be a close contest because of the strong batting line-ups of both teams, but Rajasthan completely controlled the game thanks to a sensational innings from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The young opener stole the spotlight with a breathtaking knock of 97 runs off just 29 balls. Before the match, SRH captain Pat Cummins had said that his team had plans A, B, and C ready for the teenager. However, once the game began, none of those plans worked as Sooryavanshi attacked the Hyderabad bowlers from the very beginning and dominated the contest with fearless strokeplay.
Apart from his explosive batting, Sooryavanshi also went viral on social media for a heartwarming moment after the match. A video showed the 15-year-old touching the feet of former Indian cricketers and commentators Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Bangar. Fans praised the youngster for his humility, respect for seniors, and grounded nature despite his growing fame. Watch the special video here.
Gavaskar and Bangar never saw it coming — and that's exactly what made it perfect
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again won hearts with his humility ahead of the IPL 2026 Eliminator between the Rajasthan Royals and the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The young batter has often been seen showing respect to his elders, and another touching moment involving him recently went viral on social media.
The viral video shows Sooryavanshi practising on the field before the big match while also enjoying a game of football with his Rajasthan Royals teammates. At the same time, former Indian cricketers and commentators Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Bangar were present near the ground for the pre-match show coverage.
See also -IPL 2026: “Nobody else…”- Sunil Gavaskar requests BCCI to take action on fresh concern
As soon as Sooryavanshi noticed the two respected cricket personalities, the 15-year-old immediately walked towards them and touched their feet one after the other as a mark of respect. The heartfelt gesture surprised Gavaskar and Bangar and quickly earned praise from fans, who admired the youngster’s grounded nature and humility despite his rising fame.
Suryavanshi tried touching Jatin Sapru’s feet too — but the commentator hilariously tried to escape
Apart from respectfully touching the feet of Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Bangar, Sooryavanshi also shared a funny and heartwarming moment with sports presenter Jatin Sapru on the field.
After greeting the former Indian cricketers, the 15-year-old walked towards Jatin Sapru to touch his feet as well. However, the commentator quickly stepped back after realising what Sooryavanshi was about to do, creating a light-hearted moment during the practice session.
Despite Sapru trying to avoid the gesture playfully, Sooryavanshi followed him and finally touched his feet before returning to practice. The wholesome interaction quickly went viral on social media, with fans praising the Rajasthan Royals youngster for his humility, simplicity, and respect towards his elders.
97 off 29 balls and 12 sixes — Suryavanshi broke Gayle's record and made IPL Eliminator history at just 15
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered one of the most explosive innings in IPL playoff history during the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The 15-year-old opener smashed 97 runs off just 29 balls and completely dominated the Hyderabad bowling attack with fearless strokeplay. His breathtaking innings included 12 massive sixes and helped Rajasthan Royals take complete control of the knockout clash.
The Rajasthan Royals' left-hander showed no signs of pressure in his first IPL playoff match. He started his attack with a huge six off Pat Cummins before smashing 25 runs in one over against the SRH captain. Sooryavanshi raced to 36 runs off just 10 balls and later hammered three sixes off Sakib Hussain to complete a stunning half-century in only 16 deliveries, equalling Suresh Raina’s record for the fastest fifty in IPL knockout history.
During the innings, Sooryavanshi also shattered Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the most sixes in a single IPL season. His 12 sixes in the Eliminator took his tally to 65 sixes in IPL 2026, going past Gayle’s previous record of 59 sixes set in 2012. Even the West Indies legend praised the teenager on X, writing, “What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment, young man! New six machine.”
Most sixes in an IPL season
| Sixes | Player | Season |
|---|---|---|
| 65* | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | 2026 |
| 59 | Chris Gayle | 2012 |
| 52 | Andre Russell | 2019 |
| 51 | Chris Gayle | 2013 |
| 45 | Jos Buttler | 2022 |
The historic knock also helped Sooryavanshi climb to the top of the Orange Cap standings with 680 runs in 15 matches. The teenager additionally surpassed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record for the most runs by an uncapped batter in a single IPL season. At just 15 years old, Sooryavanshi continues to rewrite IPL history and establish himself as the biggest breakout star of the 2026 season.
Tags:
