Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has called the team's win is far more important for him than his centuries, double centuries or even triple hundreds. Sooryavanshi has missed two centuries by a whisker after getting dismissed in the 90s twice.
His walk after getting dismissed on 97 in the Eliminator against the Sunrisers Hyderabad explained how broken the 15-year-old was as he trudged back to the dressing room with hard steps. He was left heartbroken after falling for 93 in the league stage clash against the Lucknow Super Giants.
However, ahead of RR's Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Titans, the teenage sensation keeps the team's win over his personal milestones. "Since childhood, my father has always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred, or even a triple hundred, but the team does not win because of it, then those runs hold no value. Sooryavanshi told JioStar ahead of the Qualifier 2 in New Chandigarh.
"They may only be for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team. Cricket, in the end, is a team game. So, if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if we still do not win despite me scoring a century, then that 80 means more to me than the hundred.
'The longer my team stays, the more chances I have of more records': Sooryavanshi
Sooryavanshi has been the cornerstone of his team's success this season. He has powered RR to emerge victorious in must-win games, including one against the LSG and then against the SRH. "The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will get to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So, it benefits both me personally and the team as well," he added.
'Want to reach final and lift the trophy': Sooryavanshi
Meanwhile, the youngster spoke on the team's mindset going into Qualifier 2 and affirmed that he wants to lift the IPL trophy. "We are looking to go in with a good mindset and positive intent and continue doing what the whole team has done throughout the tournament. We should continue to enjoy the game, which we always do, not take the pressure of a big match, and back our strengths. As a team and as a unit, we want to reach the finals and hopefully lift the trophy," the 15-year-old said.
Sooryavanshi reveals phone call from Romi Bhinder
Sooryavanshi was roped in by RR for Rs 1.10 crore ahead of IPL 2025 after winning the battle against the Delhi Capitals. Sooryavanshi went to the RR trials and revealed that he received a phone call from team manager Romi Bhinder, who assured him that the franchise would go after him. "I got the first call from Romi Bhinder sir, who is the team manager. I was in Dubai, and the auction was also taking place there. After the trials, I had spoken to him, and he had told me that they would go for me, and then we spoke for two to three minutes on the call while he congratulated me.
"In my debut match, I hit a six off the first ball, so it was a very special moment and a great memory. Then, I scored a hundred in the same season, which was a very proud moment for both my family and me. It was only my third match, so it felt great to have such a good start to my IPL career, and I am just carrying that momentum forward now."
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