Rajasthan Royals may have failed to reach the finals of IPL 2026 but their star batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi swept away majority of the awards this season, which included Most Valuable Player (MVP), Orange Cap (most runs) and Emerging Player awards. The teenage prodigy scored 776 runs from 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.30.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada won the Purple Cap for claiming most wickets in IPL 2026. He picked 29 wickets from 17 games at an economy rate of 9.68. This was the second time the South African has won the Purple Cup, the first time he won in 2020 where he picked 30 wickets for Delhi Capitals. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished second with 28 wickets.
At just 15 years old, Sooryavanshi created history by becoming the first player to win both the MVP and Emerging Player awards in the same IPL season. He was also the first batter since Chris Gayle in 2011 to finish as the season’s leading run-scorer while also having the highest strike rate among players who faced at least 20 balls.
Sooryavanshi smashed 72 sixes in IPL 2026, breaking Gayle’s long-standing record of 59 sixes in a single season. His outstanding performances played a major role in Rajasthan reaching the playoffs, although their campaign ended with a defeat to GT in Qualifier 2.
“It feels nice, but there is pressure because I am doing interviews. It is a proud moment and I will try and do well next season too,” Sooryanvashi said after collecting his awards at the end of the final. “I try to back my game and if the ball is there to be hit, I go all out for it and just try to play that way.
“How to play the pressure game, how to change myself every game, you can’t play every game in one mode, you need to read the game situation and play according to the team’s requirements. These are my learnings from this season. [On fitness] Yes, my focus is on that. If I have to play long, I have to stay clear of injuries and work on my fitness and have to focus more,” Sooryavanshi said after receiving the awards.
GT captain Shubman Gill was second on the Orange Cap list with 732 runs. He was followed by his team-mate B Sai Sudharsan at third, who finished with 722 runs.
