28 May,2026 04:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Aakash Chopra, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Pic: File Pic/X/@rajasthanroyals)
In the IPL 2026 Eliminator match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Rajasthan Royals (RR) emerged victorious by 47 runs at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
During the match, RR's opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi - the talk of the cricketing world - delivered a stunning knock. Facing just 29 deliveries, the left-handed batsman garnered 97 runs, laced with five boundaries and 12 maximums.
Speaking about his knock, former Team India cricketer Aakash Chopra heaped praise by saying that he is breaking records and needs to be taken seriously.
"We are still two years away from the next World Cup. There is plenty of time. Yes, picking Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for India based on his IPL form is an exciting thought. You can't ignore it because the IPL is India's top T20 tournament. He is breaking records left and right. You have to take him seriously," he said on Star Sports.
Further, he feels that Sooryavanshi's debut for the national team can wait as he is only 15 years old. The former cricketer also explained why the Bihar-born cricketer's India call-up could get delayed.
"He is special, no doubt. But you don't make changes just for the sake of it. It's simple. For someone to be dropped, they need to fail. If someone is already a topper in the team, why would you replace them just because someone else scored big runs? Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are those toppers right now. You don't replace them. If you do, then in two or three years when Vaibhav has a lean patch, the same thing will happen. The next young batter will be pushed in. So, the selectors, Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha, will face pressure. But they must do what is best for Indian cricket. They will make the right call. His India debut doesn't have to happen tomorrow. It can wait. He is only 15. There is no rush," added Chopra.
Following the victory, the Royals have sealed the berth in the semi-final. They will play the semi-final clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 29 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
The winning team from the semi-final will lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the title clash, which is scheduled to be played on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rajasthan Royals: Ravindra Jadeja, Sandeep Sharma, Adam Milne, Donovan Ferreira (WK), Jofra Archer, Shimron Hetmyer, Tushar Deshpande, Sam Curran, Nandre Burger, Riyan Parag (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Sen, Ravi Bishnoi, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sushant Mishra, Yudhvir Singh, Shubham Dubey, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao, Kwena Maphaka, Yash Punja, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ravi Singh (WK), Brijesh Sharma.
Gujarat Titans: Ishant Sharma, Jos Buttler (WK), Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Tewatia, Luke Wood, Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Phillips, Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Sai Kishore, Shubman Gill (C), Tom Banton (WK), Yarra Raj, Anuj Rawat, Sai Sudharsan, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Arshad Khan, Nishant Sandhu, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma.
