Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced one of the standout knocks of the Indian Premier League season, scoring 97 off 29 balls to power Rajasthan Royals to a 47-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator on Wednesday at New PCA Stadium, Chandigarh. The result kept Rajasthan’s campaign alive and ended Hyderabad’s run in the tournament.
Chasing a massive target of 244, Sunrisers Hyderabad never found control in the reply. Rajasthan’s bowlers struck regularly and restricted them to 196 all out in 19.2 overs. Hyderabad’s innings was under pressure from the start, and despite efforts from key batters, they kept losing wickets at crucial moments.
Earlier, Rajasthan were lifted by an explosive opening stand between Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who raced to 80 without loss in the powerplay. Sooryavanshi attacked the bowling from the outset and brought up a 16-ball half-century, underlining his extraordinary power and timing at just 15 years of age. He struck five fours and 12 sixes in his whirlwind innings and also broke Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes in a single IPL season, taking his tally to 65 and overtaking Gayle’s 59 from 2012.
Sooryavanshi came close to another landmark, but fell short of Gayle’s record for the fastest IPL century, which stands at 30 balls. He was dismissed after miscuing an upper cut to deep third, ending a breathtaking innings that had put Rajasthan firmly in command. After the match, he said he was focused on contributing to the team rather than chasing personal milestones, adding that centuries would come later and the main goal was to win trophies.
After Sooryavanshi’s departure, Dhruv Jurel and captain Riyan Parag kept the pressure on Hyderabad with a brisk partnership. Jurel scored 50 off 21 balls and Parag made 26 off 12, helping Rajasthan maintain momentum. Hyderabad’s bowlers managed to slow the scoring in the closing overs and took five wickets in the final five overs, but the total remained daunting.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s chase quickly slipped out of reach. Openers Ishan Kishan and Travis Head tried to settle the innings, but Rajasthan’s attack kept them under pressure. Hyderabad fell to 71 for 4 inside the powerplay, with Jofra Archer spearheading the assault. Archer finished with 3 for 58, while Ravindra Jadeja, Nandre Burger and Sushant Mishra claimed two wickets each.
Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins admitted his side had stayed competitive for most of the innings but lost too many wickets at the wrong time. Rajasthan now move on to qualifier two against Gujarat Titans on Friday, while Hyderabad’s season ends in disappointment.
