IPL’s GenNext rises! Sameer Rizvi, Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi drive fearless new batting era
Nine games into the season, with one double-header already done, the defining flavour of IPL 2026 has been the GenNext batting charge. Whether it’s the fearless opening bursts from prodigies like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya, or the composed middle-order statements from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Sameer Rizvi, the league is witnessing a generational shift in real time.
Friday’s clash between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings at Chepauk captured that theme perfectly, a tale of two next-generation stars. Ayush Mhatre, India’s U19 captain, who had shown promise in CSK colours last season, produced a classy 73 off 43 balls, laced with six fours and five sixes, to give Chennai a fighting chance. But Arya blew those hopes away in just 11 balls.
The PBKS opener, coming off a breakthrough 2025 season where he smashed 475 runs at a strike rate nearing 180, combined timing with clarity in a pure see-the-ball-hit-the-ball approach. His 39 off 11, featuring three boundaries and four sixes, powered Punjab to 61 in just 25 balls and effectively sealed the chase early.
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Arya’s role was clear. With batting depth behind him, he attacked up front, ensuring the middle order was left with minimal pressure.
Like Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has shown that the dreaded second-season syndrome doesn’t apply to everyone.
The 15-year-old prodigy, who has been in the spotlight all year, continued from where he left off in 2025. Earlier in the week, he smashed a breathtaking 15-ball fifty against Chennai in Guwahati, single-handedly dismantling a modest chase of 128.
On Saturday, in Ahmedabad, his approach remained unchanged. He raced to 31 off 18 in the powerplay, giving Rajasthan Royals a flying start. That early momentum laid the platform for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel to take the side to a match-winning total of 210.
For Delhi Capitals, Sameer Rizvi has emerged as the latest match-winner. Released by Chennai ahead of the season, the uncapped batter has made an immediate impact, winning Player of the Match in both games so far with scores of 70* and 90.
In Lucknow, while chasing 142, Delhi suddenly found themselves in trouble after a middle-order collapse. Rizvi struggled initially, taking nine balls to get off the mark and finding his first boundary only on his 14th delivery. But once the pace options dried up, he took control against spin, hammering four fours and two sixes, including the winning hit early in the 18th over.
In his next outing against Mumbai Indians, Rizvi once again walked in under pressure. This time, he showcased his wristy flair, turning a slow start into a match-winning knock, evidence of the work he has put in to address his struggles against pace.
Raghuvanshi, meanwhile, may have gone slightly under the radar amid Kolkata Knight Riders’ struggles, but he has been their lone bright spot, notching up back-to-back fifties and emerging as their most reliable batting pillar.
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