The lightness of being Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

"Dil mein basta hai Sooryavanshi" ("Sooryavanshi lives in our hearts")

Two fans outside the New Chandigarh stadium beamed when asked where they were from. "Bihar," they sang, saying he resides in their hearts. Nearby, a vendor sorted through duplicate kits; buyers demanded: "Sooryavanshi hai?" Pink and blue kits with No.3 were everywhere, worn by toddlers and adults alike.

Why is a 15-year-old rewiring the IPL – and cricket itself – in how it's played, consumed and celebrated?

Stop with the surprise. Sooryavanshi doesn't care how shocked the world claims to be. Why would he, when he doesn't care about a World Cup-winning great at his delivery mark, about to be smashed for 25 runs in an over?

We've told ourselves fifteen is too young. Respect the experienced hands. Stay within limits, or the game will humble you. Reign it in for a knockout game.

Sooryavanshi did not.

For a lesser mortal, this was a Playoff. Opening in a must-win game. The burden of RR's record against SRH. Voices discussing a potential India call-up. Yada yada yada.

Without visible nerves, his first act was sending Cummins packing. Cummins, curiously bowling first, placed two fielders on the leg-side ropes to curb his bat swing. Sixth ball, Sooryavanshi hammered a full ball over his head. Next, Eshan Malinga tried a bouncer; it flew over long leg.

Then came the 25-run over that will haunt Cummins. Changing fields every ball didn't help. Sooryavanshi hammered down the ground, upper-cut a six using pace, slapped one over Cummins's head. Out of his 97 runs, 37 came between long-off and long-on.

Cummins was left wiping his forehead, reactively changing fields. Head, Klaasen, Abhishek all offered advice. Cummins was in charge but out of options.

During a ten-ball sequence, Sooryavanshi hit six sixes. At Powerplay end: 60 off 20. The next nine balls gave 37 more. Those runs settled the game.

No one has greater mastery of six-hitting. His balls/six ratio of 4.3 beats anyone in IPL history, even Chris Gayle.

Being the youngest means reputations don't matter. Everyone's elder, which puts them at the same level. Being young doesn't intimidate him; it frees him from pressures of being too serious, too proper. He's a free bird in his own bubble.

Even as a boy among grownups, he keeps his voice. After his near-century, he wasn't subbed out. He walked back with Brijesh Sharma, arm around his shoulder, giving advice. He exchanged playfully with umpire Holdstock. He shifted fielders and questioned Riyan Parag. All the big boy stuff, but with the lightness of a 15-year-old.

His biggest strength: not over-analysing. "We just leave him alone," Parag said. "I have no idea what's in his head," Rathour admitted. "He doesn't plan anything," Jurel said.

All early doubts are gone. Sooryavanshi operates differently, not limited by age, reputation, or skill.

On Wednesday, he fell three short of a record century. Jaiswal sat on his knees, hand on head, as Sooryavanshi stood motionless. Only a tap from fielders pushed him back, before his slow trudge to the dugout.

The walk felt long, but the journey is just beginning. In two years, he's seeped into the IPL's upper echelons. He could go another quarter century, residing in hearts and breaking reputations.