Kagiso Rabada amazed by 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless batting style

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has heaped praise on teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the 15-year-old’s fearless strokeplay lit up the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.

Rabada, who has been spearheading the pace attack for the Gujarat Titans this season, admitted he was fascinated by the youngster’s aggressive intent and composure against elite bowling attacks. The South African quick experienced it firsthand during Gujarat Titans’ clash against the Rajasthan Royals, where Sooryavanshi attacked some of the best bowlers in world cricket with remarkable confidence.

“He’s a great talent. He’s got really fast hands. He’s fearless at the moment. There’s not an ounce of fear in his body. That’s how it normally is when you’re young, it’s really fascinating,” Rabada said while speaking to PTI.

Rabada believes players like Sooryavanshi bring fresh excitement to T20 cricket and are helping keep the IPL dynamic and entertaining.

“It’s great to see in the game of cricket, in the IPL. The game is well and truly alive. Who else is going to come in and make headlines of that nature? Let’s wait and see,” he added. The experienced pacer described the teenager as an “X-factor” cricketer capable of attracting fans with his fearless batting approach.

“When I bowl to him, I just think of him as another batter and try to get the better of him. But he’s definitely an X-factor player, someone who is drawing eyes to the game. Really fast hands and absolutely no fear — that’s one hell of a combination,” Rabada said.

Despite the hype surrounding the youngster, Rabada insisted he does not create special plans for any batter based solely on reputation or recent performances.

“I just come into every season trying to give my best for whichever team I’m representing. At the end of the day, you focus on execution and accept whatever outcome comes with it,” he explained.

Rabada also spoke about the growing impact of quality fast bowling in T20 cricket, saying disciplined seam and swing bowling remain highly effective even in an era dominated by aggressive batting. He pointed to the success of experienced Indian pacers who continue to rely on accuracy and movement rather than excessive variations.

The South African speedster, who has consistently touched speeds close to 150 kmph this season, also opened up on his bowling partnership with Mohammed Siraj at Gujarat Titans. According to Rabada, their success has come from trust, clarity in roles, and natural understanding both on and off the field.

“It’s about forming a partnership. He has his role and I have mine. We’ve spent time together off the field too, but there’s no magic formula behind it. We just try to do our jobs to the best of our ability,” he said.

Rabada concluded by stressing that success in cricket ultimately comes down to execution and consistency with the ball.

“If you bowl well, you’ll get wickets. If you’re not where you want to be, things won’t go your way. That’s the balance of cricket,” he added.