‘I wanted to score 700 runs in IPL 2026; it was written in my phone notes’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after winning Orange cap and MVP

Rajasthan Royals batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi revealed that scoring 700 runs in IPL 2026 was a personal target he had written down in his notes before the tournament, after the fearless teenager swept the major individual honours following a record-breaking campaign.

In Sunday’s final defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained the IPL title with a five-wicket victory over the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium while 15-year-old Sooryavanshi emerged as the undisputed star of the season, collecting five awards at the post-match presentation ceremony.

In a stellar season of going past various records, the youngster finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 776 runs to claim the Orange Cap and was also named the Most Valuable Player and Emerging Player of the Season. He also won the Super Striker award with a remarkable strike rate of 237.31 and the Super Sixes award after smashing a record 72 sixes during the season.

Following his record-breaking achievements and multiple award winning season, Sooryavanshi revealed his manifestation of scoring 700 runs in the season. In the post-match show of JioHotstar’s Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live, the youngest-ever MVP said, “ Before the season, I had written down in the Notes app on my phone that I wanted to score 700 runs in this IPL season. After every match, I used to check where I stood, so that was one goal I managed to achieve.”

Collecting the haul of five major individual accolades, the left-hander reflected, “It’s a great feeling winning all these awards. I got to learn a lot from this season. There has been a lot to take in, both on and off the field, and I know that if I want to play for a long time, I have to work on a few things. So, that will be my focus going forward, and I’ll look to do well in the upcoming matches.”

Looking beyond the IPL, the teenager outlined his ambitions of playing the traditional format of the game. Highlighting his father’s role in his ambitions, he said during the show, “ Of course, I want to play Test cricket. My father has taught me from day one to prepare for the longer format. He always told me that Test cricket is the purest form of cricket. I haven’t had many opportunities yet. I’ve played a few matches in the Ranji Trophy, and it was a bit tough for me. I know that I need to work even harder on my red-ball game.”