Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become a player coveted across the IPL, saying that rival owners would be ready to move for the teenage sensation if Rajasthan Royals ever allowed him to leave.
Sooryavanshi joined Rajasthan for ₹1.1 crore (approx. US$115K) at the IPL auction in Jeddah, a deal that has subsequently delivered one of the competition’s standout young talents to the Royals. Goenka, despite owning a rival franchise, has been an outspoken admirer of the 15-year-old and believes his availability would immediately attract interest across the league.
Goenka sees little chance of Rajasthan letting Sooryavanshi leave
The ownership landscape at Rajasthan has since changed, with Indian businessman Lakshmi Mittal becoming the franchise’s primary owner. Goenka expects that development to make any future opportunity to acquire Sooryavanshi even less likely.
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Goenka said: “Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is worth all the praise in the world. He is a generational talent. Every IPL team owner is upset that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is not part of their team. And now since Lakshmi Mittal owns Rajasthan Royals, he will never let Vaibhav Sooryavanshi go anywhere. And if it ever happens, not just me… the entire IPL world of owners are waiting.”
🚨 Sanjiv Goenka regret for not picking Vaibhav Suryavanshi in IPL auction 🚨
Shubhankar Mishra – "You regret not picking Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the IPL auction".
Sanjiv Goenka – "All IPL teams owners regret not picking Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the IPL auction. And I believe… pic.twitter.com/1QiM2TFdPj
— VIKAS (@Vikas662005) September 13, 2026
Mittal acquired Rajasthan Royals alongside Adar Poonawalla in a deal valuing the franchise at US$1.65 billion, as previously reported by cricexec. Mittal holds approximately 75% of the team, while Poonawalla owns around 18%, with the remaining approximately 7% held by approved existing investors, including previous principal owner Manoj Badale.
That ownership structure puts control of one of the IPL’s most valuable young playing assets firmly under the new majority owner as Sooryavanshi continues his rapid development.
Confidence stands out to Goenka
Goenka’s interest in Sooryavanshi extends beyond the teenager’s performances and shot-making. He has previously publicly praised the youngster despite their association with rival IPL franchises, while Sooryavanshi also has an earlier connection to one of Goenka’s teams through an image of him wearing a Rising Pune Supergiant jersey.
Goenka added: “Vaibhav’s first public image is in a Rising Pune Supergiant jersey. And he’s killing it today. He obviously has the talent, the shots, but it’s his confidence that captured my attention the most. Supreme confidence. Not overconfidence. When you get overconfident, that sparks the beginning of your downfall. Vaibhav has the confidence that ‘I can do it’. And whatever I have seen, he is improving with every game. His shots are perfect cricket shots. He is learning to alter himself a bit, and that will make him much more effective. He is a player for the big occasion.”
Sooryavanshi has already progressed from age-group cricket into the IPL and subsequently international cricket, becoming the youngest Indian to play at international level. He also finished as the leading run-scorer in the 2026 IPL.
Sooryavanshi’s rise brings unprecedented attention
The teenager’s rapid emergence has brought a level of attention extending well beyond his performances on the field, particularly given his age and the scale of the audience following his development.
Former South Africa cricketer Daryll Cullinan wrote earlier on Cricinfo: “Cricket has seen prodigies. But it has not seen this precise combination before, of innocence, extraordinary gift, and a social media world that has abolished nearly every distance between a child and the opinions of hundreds of millions.”
For Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi’s rapid progression has given the franchise a young player whose significance continues to grow both on the field and across the wider cricket landscape.
