IPL playoffs span generations with Kohli and Sooryavanshi in focus

VETERAN batter Virat Kohli and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be among the main attractions as the Indian Premier League playoffs begin on Tuesday.

There are 22 years between Kohli, 37, and Sooryavanshi, whose performances have been one of the talking points of this IPL season.

Kohli helped defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru finish top of the league standings, while Sooryavanshi played a key role in Rajasthan Royals reaching the playoffs.

Bengaluru will face Gujarat Titans in the first qualifier in Dharamsala on Tuesday. The winner will move directly into Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan sealed the final playoff place on Sunday and will play Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chandigarh on Wednesday. The losing side will be knocked out.

The winner of that match will meet the loser of Tuesday’s qualifier in the eliminator on Friday in Chandigarh.

"We don't pick age, we pick ability," Rajasthan head coach Kumar Sangakkara said about the 15-year-old batter.

"All guys, young and old, have done well to drag us to qualification."

England fast bowler Jofra Archer has also played an important role in Rajasthan’s campaign. He scored 32 runs and took 3-17 in the victory that secured their playoff place.

Kohli, who has retired from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is looking for a second successive IPL title with Bengaluru after winning his first in 2025 following an 18-season wait.

"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 is ninth in the IPL batting charts with 557 runs and a highest score of 105 not out.

Sooryavanshi is fifth with 583 runs and a best score of 103 from 37 balls.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will rely on a strong batting line-up that includes Australia opener Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen has scored 606 runs, including six half-centuries.

The batting charts are led by Gujarat Titans openers Sai Sudharsan with 638 runs and Shubman Gill with 616.

Gujarat won the IPL title in their first season in 2022. If they reach the final again, they will play at their home ground, the 130,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on Sunday.

The 10-team tournament has featured 70 matches across seven weeks, but television viewership has dropped, with BARC India and TAM Sports reporting average ratings down by 26 per cent.

Analysts, however, said the fall in television audiences was linked to viewers shifting to digital streaming platforms rather than declining interest in cricket in India.

(With inputs from agencies)