When Sanju Samson‘s move to Chennai Super Kings was finalized, many touted Yashasvi Jaiswal to take over the reins going forward for Rajasthan Royals, or at least become the face of the franchise. However, months later, he finds himself playing second fiddle to a teenager in Vaibhav Sooryavanshiwho, just over a year into his IPL career, has undoubtedly become the main man at RR, dominating some of the biggest names in world cricket with his fearless brand of cricket.
Ever since his breakthrough 2023 IPL campaign, where he smashed over 600 runs at an average of 48.07, Jaiswal had been locked in as the next big thing in Indian cricket.
Fast-forward to May 2026, however, and he is suddenly chasing shadows. The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi has completely outperformed him by every metric possible.
With the teenager taking the cricket fraternity by storm, Jaiswal now stands at a crossroads: reinvent his game, or watch his spotlight get stolen entirely.
Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu echoed those same sentiments, urging Jaiswal to step out of Sooryavanshi’s shadow and build his own kingdom elsewhere.
“He needs to change his game because he cannot just bat with the guy (Sooryavanshi) and be overshadowed every single time. He is a star in his own right. If he goes to another team, he will win games on his own. He needs space and a platform because this guy will continue to overshadow people,” Rayudu told. ESPNcricinfo.
“It has to be a senior partner, along with him, who can deal with it. Be happy for him. Be happy for what is happening and not be in a contest. You can’t compete with him,” he added.
For Jaiswal, playing for the city where he first burst onto the scene could be the best possible decision.
“MI could be a great team for Jaiswal.”
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