PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 14: (L-R) Opponents Joshua Van of Myanmar and Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil face off during the UFC 331 press conference at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
The next numbered event on the UFC schedule takes place on Saturday, September 19, from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That event, UFC 331, is headlined by a ***** le fight and a possible ***** le eliminator. In the UFC 331 main event, current flyweight champion Joshua Van puts his ***** le on the line against the man he defeated for that crown, Alexandre Pantoja. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan meets Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight contest that could determine the next foe for 155-pound champion Justin Gaethje. We look at the opening betting odds and early line movement for the two fights at the top of the UFC 331 marquee.
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Maurício Ruffy
Patrício Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho
Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain
Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito
Casey O'Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
Ryan Gandra vs. Osman Diaz
Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Yoo Joo-sang

#alexandre #Event #august #arena

Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let's start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026.
Charles Oliveira shoots down UFC ****** le eliminators against Arman, Paddy Pimblett — 'I'm next in line … I can wait': Oliveira is extremely popular and accomplished, so a ****** le shot next is possible. But, Arman or Paddy could jump him with an impressive win, so this is a gamble.
Contender Series fighter who upset Bella Mir forced to cut celebration short — 'I have work in the morning': Given that this was only Alex Apodaca's fifth pro fight at 32 years of age, having another job makes a whole lot of sense!
UFC super prospect (and historic betting favorite) Bella Mir bloodied, beaten in biggest upset in Contender Series history: I do expect Bella Mir to bounce back from this in the long run (should she choose to focus on MMA moving forward).

#paddy

Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let's start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026.
Dana White responds to Khamzat's UFC demands — and 'Borz' fans are not gonna like the answer: This is textbook Uncle Dana non-answer.
Jon Jones slams Daniel Cormier for calling Khabib the GOAT: 'Jealousy runs so deep through your blood': "Bones" knows how to make the conversation about himself each and every time. It's a gift!
Oh Lord! Yair Rodriguez bails on Noche UFC 4 main event, Jean Silva gets new opponent (Updated): Jean Silva never should have been booked versus Yair anyway — a **** le eliminator vs. "Aljo" was the real move.

#dana #welcome #midnight #wednesday

The Hundred women's final, Lord's
Trent Rockets win toss and bowl first against Sunrisers Leeds
Rockets finished top of group while Sunrisers beat Southern Brave in Eliminator
Watch live BBC TV coverage at the top of this page
You can also access BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary via watch & listen tab

#watch #southern

TNPL 2026 schedule: Fixtures, score, format, points table and live streaming for Tamil Nadu Premier League matches originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
TNPL 2026 runs from August 4 to August 28, marking the tournament's 10th edition in Tamil Nadu, India.
Eight teams compete across 32 matches split between Dindigul and Chennai.
League stage followed by Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and Final.
The tenth edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League brings nearly four weeks of domestic T20 cricket showcasing the state's brightest talent. Organised by the Tamil Nadu Cricket ******* ociation, the tournament runs from August 4 to August 28 and features eight franchises across 32 matches.

#league #matches #premier

Dana White wasn't taking any risks with Arman Tsarukyan.
On Friday, the UFC held its first press conference for next month's UFC 331 card, which takes place in Los Angeles and is headlined by a flyweight ***** le rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. The co-main event for the card is a lightweight ***** le eliminator bout between Tsarukyan and Maurio Ruffy, and when it came time for Tsarukyan and Ruffy to face off after the press conference, Dana White was not about to let Tsarukyan do anything crazy.
Tsarukyan has become notorious in recent years for his tomfoolery outside of the cage, infamously headbutting Dan Hooker at their final faceoff before their fight at UFC Qatar last year. So, when the two came together for the first time and Ruffy held a fist out, White immediately intervened when Tsarukyan began to walk forward and had the two pulled apart to prevent any mishaps.
The main event faceoff was perhaps even more intense. Van and Pantoja argued throughout much of the press conference beforehand, with Pantoja even attempting to confront Van, so when the two finally came face-to-face, things got quite chippy.
UFC 331 takes place on Sep. 19 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

#tsarukyan #came #dana

The race for places in the knockout stages of The Hundred is heating up in both the men's and women's competitions.
But which players are topping the run-scoring and wicket-taking charts? BBC Sport digs out the numbers that matter.
* Winners qualify directly for final; second and third-placed teams play each other in Eliminator
Most runs
1. Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers Leeds) - 406

#hundred #sport #race

TNPL 2026 schedule: Fixtures, score, format, points table and live streaming for Tamil Nadu Premier League matches originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
TNPL 2026 runs from August 4 to August 28, marking the tournament's 10th edition in Tamil Nadu, India.
Eight teams compete across 32 matches split between Dindigul and Chennai.
League stage followed by Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and Final.
The tenth edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League brings nearly four weeks of domestic T20 cricket showcasing the state's brightest talent. Organised by the Tamil Nadu Cricket ***** ociation, the tournament runs from August 4 to August 28 and features eight franchises across 32 matches.

#nadu

With a crowd of more than 10,000 fans at Toyota Arena Tokyo,Rizin Fighting Federation put on Rizin54 on Tuesday in Tokyo. The card was headlined by afeatherweight ****** le eliminator between top MMA prospect KyomaAkimoto and former Rizin champion KleberKoike Erbst.

After three hard-fought rounds, Akimoto (13-1, 8-1 Rizin) emergedvictorious, while Erbst (35-10-1, 1 NC; 10-5, 1 NC Rizin) may haveseen his path back to the ****** le derailed.

Koike was active with kicks in the first round and landed dozens toAkimoto's legs and midsection during the first two minutes alone.Akimoto stayed calm as Koike chased him with punches. A counterleft hook rocked Koike and backed him into a corner, but herecovered quickly and took Akimoto's back. Akimoto remained on hisfeet and wobbled Koike again with punches during the final 30seconds.

Koike pressed forward with punches in the second round, but Akimotobegan to time his strikes and snapped Koike's head back with jabsand crosses. Koike bled from his nose and tried unsuccessfully topull guard. Akimoto prevented Koike from taking him down from backcontrol and backed Koike into a corner with jabs as more cutsopened on Koike's face.

Akimoto jabbed Koike in the nose and easily avoided his takedownattempts in the final round. Koike dropped to his back and daredAkimoto to follow him to the ground, but the 20-year-old declined.Koike's left eye swelled and blood began to cover his face asAkimoto's jabs forced him to retreat. The bout went to thescorecards, and all three judges sided with Akimoto for a unanimousdecision victory. He is expected to challenge for Rizin'sfeatherweight ****** le by the end of the year.
The only other bout on the card to go the distance was the co-mainevent between Shoko Sato(39-17-2, 1 NC; 5-2 Rizin) and Patrick"Patchy" Mix (20-5, 1-2 Rizin), who came in more than sixpounds over the bantamweight limit. As a result, Mix was penalizedwith a two-point deduction, which proved to be the difference after15 minutes of fighting.

The fighters exchanged inside leg kicks in the opening minutebefore "Patchy" took Sato down directly into back control. Mixsecured a tight rear-naked choke, but Sato refused to submit andbroke Mix's grip. Sato hurt Mix with two leg kicks to begin thesecond round, and Mix immediately began to favor his right leg.Sato kept his distance and continued to throw kicks as Mix slowed.Mix was unable to take Sato down, and Sato repeatedly punished himwith leg kicks.

Mix caught a kick and took Sato down early in the final round. Hepassed to side control and struck Sato's face with hammerfists.Sato attempted a modified buggy choke from the bottom before thebout went to the scorecards. Because of Mix's point deductions, allthree judges scored the fight 28-27 for Sato, giving him aunanimous decision victory. Mix has lost four straight fights.

The second Heavyweight Grand Prix ****** an semifinal between KingEdokpolo (4-0, 3-0 Rizin) and Mikio Ueda(5-4, 4-4 Rizin) got o

The Hundred regular season final round continues on Tuesday as we move closer to the eliminator and final weekend.
There's also action from the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 as Canada and UAE face off.
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#league

The final of the men's and women's competitions in the 2026 edition of The Hundred take place on Sunday, 16 August.
Following the same competition format as throughout this year, and every year since its 2021 launch, it will be a double-header of matches. The women's final will take place first, followed soon after by the men's final.
The teams who finished top in the group stage of the men's and women's competitions respectively will make the final. They will face the winners of Friday's Eliminator matches, played at The Oval in London between the teams who finished second and third.
Here are all of the key details ahead of the 2026 finals.
The 2026 season is the sixth edition of The Hundred competition, having started in 2021 [Getty Images]

#final #hundred #take #place

Former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane faced a challenging setback in his journey back to the gold, as he dropped a closely contested split decision to three-division Lumpinee Stadium World Champion Suakim PongSuphan PK this past Friday, August 7.
The highly anticipated ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World **** le eliminator unfolded in the main event of The Inner Circle 25, which emanated live from Bangkok's historic Lumpinee Stadium and streamed in Asia primetime exclusively via live.onefc.com.
That high-stakes showdown carried massive implications for the bantamweight Muay Thai division, with the victor securing a direct path to the reigning king, Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon.
The 6-foot-4 phenom displayed his otherworldly Muay Thai skills throughout the bout, fighting valiantly until the final bell sounded. However, a crucial knockdown in the second round resulting from a brilliantly timed left hook and knee by Suakim placed Anane behind on the judges' scorecards.
Despite an impressive late surge to close the distance in the third and final stanza, that pivotal sequence ultimately tipped the scales in favor of the 30-year-old Thai veteran, who also walked away with a US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

#thai #lumpinee

The race for places in the knockout stages of The Hundred is heating up in both the men's and women's competitions.
But which players are topping the run-scoring and wicket-taking charts? BBC Sport digs out the numbers that matter.
* Winners qualify directly for final; second and third-placed teams play each other in Eliminator
Most runs
1. Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers Leeds) - 374

#sport #mitchell

The race for places in the knockout stages of The Hundred is heating up in both the men's and women's competitions.
But which players are topping the run-scoring and wicket-taking charts? BBC Sport digs out the numbers that matter.
* Winners qualify directly for final; second and third-placed teams play each other in Eliminator
Most runs
1. Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers Leeds) - 324

#sport #eliminator #leeds

Uncrowned has Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa Oliha and Callum Walsh vs. Tyler Denny live results, round-by-round updates, highlights, ring walks and start time for the Zuffa Boxing 10 fight card on Saturday at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Aaron McKenna and Etinosa Oliha clash for the vacant IBF middleweight ******* le in the main event, while rising star Callum Walsh takes on the former European champion Tyler Denny to complete the middleweight doubleheader.
Ireland's McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) was last in action when he dominated Liam Smith for a wide unanimous decision win in April 2025.
Oliha (22-0, 10 KOs) defeated Alexander Pavlov in an IBF eliminator in late 2024. He has fought just once since, getting a third-round TKO win over Ivan Njegac last September.
Walsh (16-0, 11 KOs) moved up to middleweight in his last fight and survived a knockdown to take a decision over Carlos Ocampo in January.
Denny (21-4-3, 1 KO) is coming off a competitive loss to George Liddard in March. The West Midlands southpaw formerly held the European ******* le from 2023 to 2024.

#oliha #last #aaron #callum

The race for places in the knockout stages of The Hundred is heating up in both the men's and women's competitions.
But which players are topping the run-scoring and wicket-taking charts? BBC Sport digs out the numbers that matter.
* Winners qualify directly for final; second and third-placed teams play each other in Eliminator
Most runs
1. Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers Leeds) - 290

#hundred #marsh #leeds #race

Former three-division Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Suakim Pongsuphan PK has seen everything the sport can throw at a man across his remarkable 216-fight career, but nothing quite like what awaits him at The Inner Circle 25.
On Friday, August 7, the resurgent Thai veteran looks to extend his inspiring career rebirth against former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane. This high-stakes main event World ***** le eliminator goes down live in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium, exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com.
Having not tasted defeat since April 2024, Suakim boasts a seven-bout winning streak that stands as the longest active run in the division, with four of those victories coming by spectacular stoppage.
That stunning resurgence includes impressive finishes over Deniz "Bad Boy" Demirkapu and Panrit Lukjaomaesaiwaree, a life-changing six-figure contract-winning TKO of Komawut FA Group, and a US$50,000 performance bonus-earning finish of Jake "The One" Peacock.
Now operating at the absolute peak of his powers, the 30-year-old veteran could not hide his astonishment at the sheer magnitude of his next ***** ignment.

#World #lumpinee #former #Career

The Inner Circle 25 arrives on Friday, August 7, featuring a stacked card that guarantees high-stakes martial arts action from top to bottom. Broadcasting live in Asia primetime from Bangkok's historic Lumpinee Stadium, the blockbuster event streams exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com.
A bantamweight Muay Thai World ******* le eliminator will determine who faces the divisional king next, the highly anticipated ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament roars to life with a clash between two elite strikers, and one of the most debated results of the year gets its definitive answer in a monumental rematch.
Here are three compelling reasons The Inner Circle 25 is absolutely unmissable this Friday.
Former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane and three-division Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Suakim PongSuphan PK will clash in a massive World ******* le eliminator. The victor earns the coveted right to challenge reigning divisional king Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon.
Anane's remarkable journey through ONE Championship has been nothing short of extraordinary. The towering 6-foot-4 Algerian-Thai striker arrived as the youngest-ever WBC Muay Thai World Champion. After an initial setback against "The Kicking Machine" Superlek in his debut, he returned with unmatched focus, systematically clearing out top contenders before defeating Nico "King of the North" Carrillo to claim interim gold in 2025.

#muay #inner #circle #stadium

Asian Legends League 2026 schedule: Fixtures, score, format, squads and live streaming for season 2 matches originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Asian Legends League Season 2 runs from July 30 to August 10, 2026.
It comprises of six teams competing across 19 T20 matches in Zambia.
League stage followed by Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and Final
The second season of the Asian Legends League promises to feature some of the best retired cricket players in Asia for almost two weeks of T20 cricket games between July 30 and August 10.

#asian #august #fixtures

England prospect Davina Perrin said she remembered she has "got the shots" after recovering from injury.
The 19-year-old was touted for England recognition last season after hammering the fastest century in the history of the women's Hundred, a 43-ball 101 for Northern Superchargers in the eliminator match.
She struck 52 from 43 deliveries in Birmingham Phoenix's 24-run defeat by Southern Brave on Thursday, her second match back after a month on the sidelines.
"It's my first like proper injury so there's so much learnings from it and that's the big thing for me, looking at what I can learn from the experience," said Perrin.
"Seeking advice where I could as well - I managed to grab a few minutes out of [former England wicketkeeper] Sarah Taylor and she gave me a really good bit of advice.

#birmingham

Explained: New T20 World Cup format as ICC plans to expand the global competition originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
New stages have been introduced in the T20 World Cup.
The number of teams competing in the second stage of the tournament has been increased from 8 to 10
Additional eliminators to enhance the consequences until the final stage of the tournament
The International Cricket Council has approved the most significant overhaul of its flagship men's tournament in years, reshaping the structure of the T20 World Cup.

Uncrowned has Abdullah Mason vs. Albert Bell live results, round-by-round updates, highlights, ring walks and start time for the Mason vs. Bell fight card on Saturday night at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. In the main event of the debut boxing show aired on TNT in the U.S., Abdullah Mason defends his WBO lightweight ****** le against Albert Bell.
Mason (20-0, 17 KOs), 22, is the youngest male world champion in boxing. He captured the WBO lightweight ****** le by edging Sam Noakes in a Fight of the Year contender this past November in Saudi Arabia. The Cleveland native headlines in his hometown for his first ****** le defense.
Mason was supposed to defend his ****** le against Joe Cordina, but Cordina was forced to withdraw on short notice due to a visa issue, and thus he is replaced by Bell.
Bell (28-0, 9 KOs), also from Ohio, was already in camp to face Andy Cruz in an IBF final eliminator and thus represents a strong late replacement. Bell was last in action winning a decision over Keith Hunter this past August in Toledo.
In the night's co-feature, Bruce "Shu Shu" Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) makes the first defense of his WBC featherweight ****** le versus Mexico's Rene Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs). Carrington became a world champion after scoring a ninth-round KO against Carlos Castro this past January on the Shakur Stevenson vs. Teofimo Lopez undercard.

As Lewis Crocker realised a lifetime dream by winning the IBF welterweight ***** le at Windsor Park in his native Belfast last September, predictably, the questions as to what is next quickly followed.
Marquee names such as Conor Benn and Devin Haney were rumoured for a lucrative first defence, while a domestic rematch with Conah Walker was also touted, but instead of home comforts, the 29-year-old finds himself in Brisbane, Australia to face mandatory contender and local favourite Liam Paro on Wednesday.
With Paddy Donovan - whom Crocker had edged in their rematch to claim the ***** le last year to improve to 22 wins from as many contests - withdrawing from a final eliminator against Paro [27-1] in January, the former IBF light-welterweight champion was elevated to mandatory challenger.
Australian promoter No Limit would win the purse bid, edging out Crocker's promoter Matchroom by $27,000 (£20,000), handing Paro the opportunity to win a world ***** le in his native Queensland.
Roles are somewhat reversed this time, as Paro won his first world ***** le in the 10st division by upsetting the odds in June 2024 against Puerto Rico's Subriel Matias in enemy territory, before returning to the island to be out-pointed by USA's Richardson Hitchens six months later.

“Starboy” wants to prove a point.
No. 2-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight Manel Kape returns to action in a rematch nine years in the making against ******* anese star Kyoji Horiguchi in the main event of UFC Vegas 119 this weekend (Sat., June 20, 2026) inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While it has not been made official, Kape vs. Horiguchi will most likely serve as a ******* le eliminator to determine who fights for the belt next after champion Joshua Van rematches Alexandre Pantoja later this year.
But according to Kape, he did not even have to take this fight.
Kape is coming off a first-round knockout of former ******* le challenger Brandon Royval, which earned him a ******* le shot against Van. However, he couldn’t make weight in time for UFC 327 in Miami, so Tatsuro Taira got the opportunity instead. That fight was later moved to UFC 328.

Southend United have signed two former National League-winning midfielders - Darren Oldaker from Swindon Town and former Barnet player Anthony Hartigan.
Defensive midfielder Oldaker, 27, captained Chesterfield to the National League ***** le in 2023-2024, before joining League Two Swindon Town last May.
He went on to make 40 appearances for the Robins, scoring once in the league and once in the FA Cup. Southend said he had joined for an undisclosed fee.
Central midfielder Hartigan won the National league ***** le with Barnet in 2024-2025, before making 32 EFL appearances for the Bees in 2025-2026, scoring once. He joins on a free transfer after the expiry of his Barnet contract.
Southend finished sixth in the National League last season, before losing their play-off eliminator away to Scunthorpe United.

UFC Freedom 250 went down in the history books last night (Sat., June 14, 2026) in what was truly one-of-a kind event that saw all seven fights end via knockout. In the main event of the evening, Justin Gaethje became the undisputed Lightweight champion of the world after he absolutely brutalized Ilia Topuria to the point to where “El Matador” could not answer the call to come out for the fifth and final round (highlights). In the co-headlining act, Ciryl Gane once again captured UFC gold by knocking out Alex Pereira (video), while Sean O’Malley stopped Aiemann Zahabi in round two (see it here).
It’s about time UFC stops playing with Tsarukyan and give him his long over due shot at the **** le. He is currently ranked No. 2 and while he has been meaty taking on side quests in RAF, he should be ready to get back to his true calling inside the Octagon. This is another fight that has fireworks written all over it. Tsarukyan is on a five-fight win streak and was last seen submitting Dan Hooker in Nov. 2025.
After Gane stunned Pereira in round two with his heavy bombs, the hulking Frenchman can now look ahead to trying to settle some unfinished business with the current champion, Aspinall, in a rematch. The two men initially threw down at UFC 321 in Oct. 2025, which saw the fight end in anti-climactic fashion in the very first round after Aspinall was on the wrong end of an inadvertent eye poke, resulting in a no contest (NC). Since then, however, all we have been seeing is how slow the champ’s recovery has been, so there is no telling when that fight will happen…if ever.
After O’Malley took care of Zahabi last night, he called for a **** le fight against current Houston champion, Petr Yan. The two men initially fought way back at UFC 280, which saw “Suga” walk away with a split-decision win. Since then, however, Yan has become champion once again, winning the undisputed **** le more recently at UFC 323 by defeating Merab Dvalishvili. There have been talks about a potential rematch between the two, but nothing has yet become official. If and when it does, then I can see O’Malley waiting to face the winner, as he should.
Hokit secured his fourth straight win inside the Octagon in just seven months by stopping Derrick Lewis in round number two (see it here). Currently ranked No. 5, he could be moving up a spot or two following his latest win. Up next, a fight against Pavlovich could be in order, which would undoubtedly be his biggest test so far inside the Octagon. Pavlovich is currently ranked No. 3 in the division and is coming off an easy night of work, disposing of Tallison Teixeira in 39 seconds just last month (see it here). The winner of this fight could put himself in great position for a **** le eliminator fight, possibly against Alexander Volkov.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's childhood coach Manish Ojha describes his ward as a "God's child" and credits fate and divine guidance for bringing the youngster to his academy.

"A couple of years ago, I thanked Vaibhav's father (Sanjeev Sooryavanshi) for bringing the kid to me. Ispe bhagwaan ka haath hai (He is God's child). It is because of him that I got recognition, otherwise who gives two cents about a cricket coach in Bihar?," an emotional Manish tells TimesofIndia.com after the 15-year-old received his maiden India call-up for the Ireland and England series.

"Sab Bhagwaan ki kripa hai (God has been kind). The kid is immensely talented and has worked hard. Credit to his father as well," he says.

Riding on a sensational IPL 2026 campaign, the 15-year-old from Bihar will now don the blue jersey.
"When we talk about Bihar, we always talk about our past, from the Maurya Empire, Gupta Empire, Buddhism, Jainism, Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Yatra or the JP Movement. In modern times, it has often been in the news for all the notorious things. This teenager is not only hitting sixes but also smashing those stigmas ******* ociated with Bihar out of the park. Imagine Sachin Tendulkar calling him 'truly special' or Virat Kohli telling Vaibhav, 'Ek Bihari, sab pe bhari, phir khatam game.' What Vaibhav has managed to achieve in the last few months is phenomenal," says Ojha.

Sooryavanshi smashed 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.30. He also hit a record-breaking 72 sixes during a season that saw him narrowly miss out on the fastest century in IPL history.
"He is a big-match player. We have seen that in the IPL playoffs. In the U-19 World Cup final, he again played a scintillating knock. It is a great call by the selectors to pick him. And this is just the beginning. He will achieve a lot more," says Ojha.

Ojha says his ward is a "quick learner". According to him, the preparation before every game helps Sooryavanshi play his aggressive brand of cricket and take on the best bowlers without fear.

"He prepares in his own way. It's not that he sits with video ******* ysts, but he does his homework," says Ojha.

This conscientious approach and unshakeable temperament led the selectors to name the explosive Sooryavanshi in the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England.
Sooryavanshi has not only caught the attention of greats like Tendulkar and Kohli, but India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has also been effusive in his praise for the teenager. In a near-solo effort, Sooryavanshi almost dragged Rajasthan Royals into the IPL 2026 final. In the Eliminator, he smashed a 29-ball 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and then followed it up with a 47-ball 96 against Gill's Gujarat ******* ans.

"I think he's had a remarkable season. I've not seen anyone bat the way he bats and, in this format, he is probably one of the best batters in the world right now," Gill had said after Qualifier 2 in Mullanpur.

"It is remar

NEW DELHI: With his ability to clear boundaries from ball one and turn matches on their head in a matter of overs, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi emerged as the biggest talking point of IPL 2026. The 15-year-old batting sensation left bowlers searching for answers and earned admiration from opponents and teammates alike.

Sooryavanshi's numbers from the season were nothing short of extraordinary. The Rajasthan Royals opener finished as the tournament's highest run-scorer, scoring 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike rate of 237.30.

The left-handed batter also rewrote the IPL record books by smashing 72 sixes during the season, surpassing the previous record of 59 maximums held by West Indies great Chris Gayle.

His most memorable performance came in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. With Rajasthan Royals facing a do-or-die clash, Sooryavanshi produced one of the most destructive innings in IPL history, hammering 97 off just 29 ******* to power his side into Qualifier 2. The teenager was at it again in Qualifier 2 against Gujarat ******* ans, blasting a sensational 96. Although Rajasthan Royals eventually lost by seven wickets and missed out on a place in the final, Sooryavanshi's fearless strokeplay once again stole the spotlight.

Among those impressed by the youngster's remarkable rise was Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya, who faced him during the season and even managed to dismiss him.

Asked whether he enjoyed his battles with the Rajasthan Royals prodigy, Krunal did not hide his admiration.

"Oh, yeah. We played one game against RR in Guwahati. In fact, I got his wicket as well," Krunal told Times of India.

Krunal then lavished praise on the teenager, describing him as one of the most exciting talents he has seen.

"But boy, what a talent! At 15! Generational talent. To bat like that at 15. Even if you are 30, 40, or 25, to bat like this is commendable. But 15? And he’s not just slogging. That boy has brains."

The RCB star pointed to Sooryavanshi's mature innings in the knockout stages as proof that there is far more to his game than power-hitting.

"Look at how he batted in Qualifier-2 vs GT. He played the situation. I’m very eager to see how he continues his journey forward in the next ten years," Krunal said.

Cricket is a team game: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reveals fathers lesson on missed centuries

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the undisputed breakout star of IPL 2026. The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals sensation currently leads the Orange Cap race with 680 runs in 15 matches and has lit up the tournament with a series of record-shattering performances. Yet, despite his remarkable season, he has narrowly missed out on what many believe would have been well-deserved centuries.

Twice this season, Sooryavanshi found himself in the nineties, only to fall short because of his unwavering commitment to the team's cause. Rather than slowing down to secure personal milestones, the teenager continued to play his natural attacking game, putting the team's needs ahead of individual records.

Explaining his mindset on JioStar, Sooryavanshi revealed the lesson his father taught him from a young age.

"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. They may only be for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team,'' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi said.
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"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," he added.

"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,'' Vaibhav concluded.

His selfless approach was on full display during the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Batting on a breathtaking 97 off just 28 **** , Sooryavanshi was only one boundary away from breaking Chris Gayle's record for the fastest century in IPL history. Instead of playing it safe and taking a single, he attempted an audacious upper-cut off Praful Hinge. Spotting a fielder late, he tried to adjust the shot but mistimed it, eventually getting caught at deep third man on the 29th ball.

Earlier in the season against Lucknow Super Giants, he produced another sensational innings, smashing 93 off just 38 deliveries. The left-hander tore apart the LSG attack with seven fours and ten towering sixes at a staggering strike rate of 244.73, guiding Rajasthan Royals to a dominant victory before falling short of a century once again.

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