As the Indian Premier League transcends generations in the playoffs starting on Tuesday, veteran batting great Virat Kohli and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be in the spotlight.
The teenage prodigy Sooryavanshi, whose batting fireworks have been the buzz of the IPL season, and the 37-year-old Kohli, who helped propel reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the top of the regular season standings, are separated by 22 years.
The Qualifier 1 between Kohli’s RCB and Gujarat Titans will take place in Dharamsala on Tuesday. The victor will advance directly to the final on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
Sooryavanshi and Rajasthan Royals secured their final playoff spot on Sunday. They will play Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday in the Eliminator at Chandigarh, with the losers getting eliminated.
Qualifier 2 on Friday in Chandigarh will pit the Eliminator victor against the loser of Tuesday’s Qualifier 1.
“We don’t pick age, we pick ability. All guys, young and old, have done well to drag us to qualification,” the 15-year-old budding talent was mentioned by Rajasthan head coach Kumar Sangakkara.
Rajasthan’s campaign has also benefited from the efforts of England fast bowler Jofra Archer, who scored 32 runs and took 3-17 in the victory that advanced them to the final four.
After waiting 18 seasons to win his first IPL trophy in 2025, Kohli, who has retired from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is aiming for a second consecutive victory with RCB.
“Even after all these years, it is the love for the game. I just love hitting the ball in the middle of the bat. That joy is still there,” said Kohli, who with 557 runs and a highest score of an unbeaten 105, is ranked eighth on the IPL batting rankings.
With a best of 103 off 37 balls and 583 runs, Sooryavanshi is ranked fifth.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have a strong batting lineup that includes South African Heinrich Klaasen, who has smashed 606 runs with six half-centuries, Australian Travis Head, and India’s Abhishek Sharma, will take on Rajasthan on Wednesday.
Gujarat Titans openers Sai Sudharsan (638 runs) and Shubman Gill (616) lead the batting rankings.
Gujarat won the IPL in their first season in 2022, and if they make it to the final once more, they will play the summit clash on Sunday at their home venue – the 130,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
