How Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Expanded His Batting Repertoire Ahead of IPL 2026

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi burst onto the cricket scene as a teenager playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, and his rapid rise has kept experts talking. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim recently praised the youngster's growth, saying he has visibly upgraded his game in 2026, his second full IPL season.

According to Karim, Sooryavanshi's greatest strength is how quickly he reads a bowler's plan. Within a few deliveries, he can sense where bowlers are trying to target him, judge whether he already has the shots to counter that strategy, and adjust his batting on the spot. This sharp, in-the-moment assessment is what Karim calls his standout quality.

That quick thinking has translated into new strokes this year. Karim pointed out that Sooryavanshi has begun playing the upper cut against fast, short-pitched bowling, driving confidently through the covers with a solid batting stance, and lofting the ball over the long-off and cover regions. He has also added the inside-out shot, where a batter creates room to hit against the spin or line of the ball toward the off side. Together, these additions mean he now has scoring options against almost any type of bowling or match situation.

Before Sooryavanshi's second IPL season began, there was real doubt about whether he could sustain his form. Many pundits expected opposing teams to have figured him out by now, targeting his body with fast, short deliveries or setting specific traps based on what they had seen the previous year. This kind of dip in form after an impressive debut season is often referred to as the