Jaipur: Australian captain Pat Cummins has declared himself a "new fan" of 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, praising the teenager's aggressive style following a record-breaking performance in the Indian Premier League.

Sooryavanshi, the Rajasthan Royals' youthful sensation, captivated the cricketing world Saturday by recording his second century of the season. Despite the Royals ultimately falling to Cummins' Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sooryavanshi’s 103-run outburst came off just 37 deliveries.

"Yeah, I think he's my new favourite player. He hits the ball so hard, it's great to watch. It's good fun," said Cummins, the decorated skipper who has led Australia to both World Test Championship and T20 World Cup titles.

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Bowling Challenges

Cummins, whose Sunrisers secured a five-wicket victory, noted that the youngster’s arrival has significantly decreased the margin for error for opposing bowlers.

"You've got to be right on the money as a bowler, because if you're not, it's going a long way," Cummins remarked. "So he's impressive. Yeah, he's had a great start to his career, and yeah, I love the way he plays."

The Debate Over Playing Surfaces

The match occurred amid a broader discussion regarding the prevalence of "flat" pitches in the IPL, which many argue unfairly favour batters over bowlers. Cummins, however, dismissed concerns that these conditions are damaging the sport, provided they remain confined to the shortest format.

"Look, maybe. I think it's just the way it is. The wickets might be flat, but it's only 20 overs, you know, so it's not a Test match where it's flat, and they've had a bat for five days, so I'm okay with that," he explained. "It's a maximum of four overs. Yeah, it's fine. It is what it is."

The Sunrisers captain argued that such high-scoring environments actually highlight the necessity for elite bowling units rather than rendering them obsolete.

"We set up our team, obviously, to try and go big on our batting, and as bowlers it's up to us to try and minimise the runs," Cummins said. "The scores look a little bit different to maybe a few years ago, but the concept's still the same. Yeah, I don't mind it. It's fine. It's the same for both teams. I think you still need five really good bowlers."

With inputs from PTI