Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ‘not happy’ with Rajasthan Royals having him as impact player: ‘It’s not because…'

Sooryavanshi first played as an impact sub in the IPL 2026 match against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) last week at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. In the same fixture, he brought the house down with his performance with the bat, scoring 78 runs off 26 balls.

On Monday, the left-handed batter once again played as an impact player against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. It was therefore not on the field when Riyan Parag won the toss and opted to bowl.

However, he also explained that the decision to have Sooryavanshi on the bench wasn't taken in the first few games, as Donovan Ferreira was nursing an injury. Since the latter has now recovered, there was no option but to have the young batter as the impact player.

“The last game he missed out on, he wasn't very happy because he loves his fielding. It's not because he's a poor fielder,” Penny told the broadcaster during the IPL 2026 match between the Sunrisers and Royals.

“Donovan has passed his fitness test. He broke his collarbone in the SA20. He's a gun fielder. It's good to have him back on the field. Sadly, Vaibhav misses out,” he added.

Sooryavanshi batting exploits

Before the start of the IPL 2026 edition, one thought Sooryavanshi would find it tough in his second season as the bowlers would come up with their plans to stop him. However, the youngster has unleashed another gear in the 19th edition of the T20 tournament, smashing tried and tested bowlers for fun.

He has already smashed the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood. So far, he has two half-centuries to his name in the IPL 2026 season, with both of these fifties coming off just 15 balls. His first failure of the ongoing IPL edition came on Monday against Sunrisers, as he walked back to the hut for a golden duck. Praful Hinge, the tall pacer bowled a short delivery and Sooryavanshi top-edged the ball to give a simple catch to Ishan Kishan.

Sooryavanshi announced himself on the big stage last year after hitting a 35-ball century against the Gujarat Titans, registering the fastest century by an Indian in the T20 tournament.

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