3 reasons behind Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's poor start in Tri-Nation A Series in Sri Lanka 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 14 off 12 in the opening match of the Tri-Nation A series against Sri Lanka.
The Tri-Nation A series between India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan is underway in Sri Lanka. Tilak Varma is India’s captain, while Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named his deputy. Anukul Roy and Arshad Khan received their India A debut caps ahead of the start of the match from the leadership duo.
Young gun Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a part of India’s squad for this series. The wonder-kid made headlines in the recently concluded IPL 2026, where he scored 776 runs at a blazing strike rate of 237. He won the Orange Cap and the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament, among other accolades.
Not only is he a good player in the T20 format, but he has also done well in the 50-over format earlier. He was the Player of the Tournament in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, scoring 439 runs in 7 innings, including a scintillating 175 in the final.
However, in his first outing for India A in this series, Sooryavanshi failed to perform well. His start was rather underwhelming to say the least. On that note, let’s take a look at the three possible reasons behind the 15-year-old’s poor start.
Reasons behind Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s poor first outing:
Slow pitch
The pitch at Sri Lanka’s Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium is slightly slow. The batsmen are finding it tough to get off the mark with ease. The ball isn’t coming onto the bat properly, and strong winds are making it quite difficult for the batsmen.
Not that Sooryavanshi has not played on such a deck before, but the lack of experience does kick in sometimes. He was defending well, and even chose the deliveries for his shots, until he got out at mid-off.
Scratchy start by the opening partner
Prabhsimran Singh opened the innings with Vaibhav. The former looked uncomfortable right from the start and failed to time the ball correctly. He opened his account after facing eight balls.
This slow start from the other end built pressure on Sooryavanshi to go big. He did hit three boundaries, but the lack of runs from the PBKS opener only made things tougher for the young batsman.
IPL fatigue
IPL 2026 was Vaibhav’s first full season, in which he played 16 matches for Rajasthan Royals (RR). His 776 runs were crucial for RR, as they secured their spot in the playoffs. He even scored blistering 97 and 93 in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, respectively.
Apart from Dhruv Jurel (515) and Sooryavanshi (776), no other batsman on the team scored more than 450 runs in IPL 2026. In fact, it was Vaibhav who was shouldering RR’s batting line-up responsibility, which likely led to his fatigue.
The young phenomenon has also been named in India’s squad for the T20I series against Ireland and England. Moreover, he will also feature in the Asian Games in Japan.
How many runs did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi score in IPL 2026?
Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs in IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 237
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.