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Drew McIntyre backs 15 year old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with a viral post before Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 Eliminator vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, spotlight on teen star in knockout clash
Drew McIntyre posts for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Instagram and AP)
WWE superstar Drew McIntyre threw his support behind teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2026 Eliminator clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with a viral social media post that quickly grabbed fans’ attention on Tuesday.
The WWE superstar shared a gym video on social media in which he was seen training while wearing a Rajasthan Royals jersey bearing Sooryavanshi’s name. The post instantly went viral across social media platforms as excitement built around the knockout clash in Mullanpur.
“Chosen One,” McIntyre captioned the video, backing the 15-year-old batter who has emerged as one of the biggest stars of IPL 2026.
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The post also triggered reactions from within the Rajasthan Royals camp. Captain Riyan Parag joined in the fun in the comments section, writing: “Omgggggg don’t remember how many Future Shock DDTs I’ve hit on 2K.”
Rajasthan Royals’ official social media handle also embraced the moment, replying: “Certainly,” while acknowledging McIntyre’s description of Sooryavanshi as the “Chosen One”.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Magic
The teenager’s rise this season has gone beyond cricketing circles. Sooryavanshi has become one of the breakout stars of the tournament after scoring 583 runs and consistently dominating bowling attacks despite being only 15 years old.
Now, the spotlight shifts to the high-pressure Eliminator where Rajasthan Royals will face a resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad side led by Pat Cummins. SRH have been one of the form teams in the competition, winning five of their last seven league matches after Cummins returned to the squad.
Having already beaten Rajasthan twice during the league stage, Sunrisers enter the knockout fixture with a psychological edge. However, the Royals will bank heavily on Sooryavanshi’s fearless batting at the top of the order alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel.
Rajasthan head coach Kumar Sangakkara admitted that the challenge of facing Hyderabad’s explosive batting line-up would require both aggression and discipline.
“They’re a good side, aren’t they? They bat well. They trust themselves to go hard and they’ve done it the whole tournament,” Sangakkara said ahead of the contest.
With the stakes at their highest, all eyes will now be on Sooryavanshi — the teenager already being hailed as cricket’s next “Chosen One.”
Punjab, India, India
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