Justin Langer was full of praise for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the youngster once again delivered a breathtaking performance for Rajasthan Royals in their crucial IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday (May 19). Calling it a “privilege” to watch the 15-year-old bat, Langer said Sooryavanshi’s fearless strokeplay has left even the world’s best bowlers stunned.Rajasthan Royals kept their playoff hopes alive with a commanding seven-wicket win at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, successfully chasing down a massive target of 221. At the heart of the stunning chase was Sooryavanshi, who smashed a sensational 93 off just 38 balls, hammering seven fours and 10 towering sixes at an astonishing strike rate of 244.74.The explosive knock also saw Sooryavanshi become the first Indian batter in IPL history to hit 50 sixes in a single season. After his dismissal, Dhruv Jurel anchored the chase with an unbeaten 53 off 38 deliveries, before Donovan Ferreira sealed the victory in style with a six over long-on on the first ball of the final over.Speaking after the match, Langer admitted he has rarely seen anything like Sooryavanshi’s batting in his long cricketing journey.“We’ve seen it all season, he’s the leading run scorer. In all my time, I’ve seen some amazing players in 35 years of cricket. To see a young man bat like that, not just tonight, but throughout the series, is breathtaking,” Langer said.The former Australian opener also recalled how elite fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Anrich Nortje looked stunned while bowling to the RR prodigy earlier this season.“I think the last game, Mitchell Starc, who’s one of the all-time great white ball bowlers, he’s bowling and look at the expression on his face,” Langer recalled. “And Nortje, who’s a world-class international bowler and Sooryavanshi is hitting him. And the expression on their face is such that, ‘what is happening here?’ The scary thing going forward is, if the expressions on the face of Mitch Starc and Nortje and every bowler tell a story now, what about when he learns how to bat? My gosh, he’s so young. So, yeah, he’s a brilliant, brilliant player. And it’s a real privilege to watch him bat, actually.”Backing Sooryavanshi to succeed across all conditions and formats, Langer compared the youngster’s adaptability to legendary greats of the game.“People always ask whether great players from different eras would adapt. The answer is yes, because truly great players always find a way. Sooryavanshi is that good. Wherever he plays, he’ll adapt because honestly – where are teams going to bowl to him?” Langer concluded.
