India, April 11 -- Since last night Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the toast of the town. After his 26-ball 78 for Rajasthan Royals that saw them beat defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati, the media outlets all over the world are replete with eulogies for him. There is no doubt he deserves every bit of it. However, his red-hot form has given rise to massive competition among Indian batsmen, especially openers, in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).

On Saturday, first Abhishek Sharma smashed a 28-ball 74 against Punjab Kings to shift some of the spotlight on himself in New Chandigarh. The left-hander hit five boundaries and eight sixes. As if he was aware of what former Pakistan player Tanvir Ahmed predicted about ...