Indian Premier League, Eliminator, New Chandigarh
Rajasthan Royals 243-8 (20 overs): Sooryavanshi 97 (29); Hinge 3-54
Sunrisers Hyderabad 196 (19.2 overs): Reddy 38 (20); Archer 3-58
Rajasthan Royals won by 47 runs
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced his latest extraordinary innings by hitting 97 from just 29 balls to set up Rajasthan Royals’ win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League eliminator.
The 15-year-old struck 12 sixes, including three in a row off Australia captain Pat Cummins, before he was dismissed in the eighth over.
After hitting boundaries off seven balls in succession, he had one delivery to break Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest IPL century but was caught at deep third attempting an upper cut.
Sooryavanshi, who had reached 50 in 16 balls, looked crestfallen in the middle but was congratulated by his opponents and given a standing ovation by the crowd.
At that point Royals were 125-1 after eight overs, with opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, an India international across formats, on 25 from 20 balls at the other end.
“What an innings. What a player,” said India legend Sunil Gavaskar, commentating.
“That is an innings to remember. An innings to savour.”
Sooryavanshi’s knock also took him to the top of this year’s run-scorers’ list in the IPL.
His seventh six, hit in only the fourth over, broke the record for the most sixes in an IPL season – a record previously held by former West Indies international Gayle with 59.
“The margins are so small,” Cummins said.
“You miss your yorker by a little bit and he doesn’t tend to miss them. Fair play.”
After Sooryavanshi was dismissed, Sunrisers fought back admirably to restrict Royals to 243-8 but Rajasthan, who have not won the IPL since the inaugural season in 2008, still triumphed by 47 runs.
England bowler Jofra Archer bounced out Abhishek Sharma second ball and, despite being expensive, also dismissed Ishan Kishan for 33 and Travis Head for 17.
Sunrisers were bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs. Archer finished with 3-58.
Sooryavanshi first made headlines when he smashed his first ball in the IPL for six aged 14 in April 2025. He became the youngest man to hit a T20 century later that season.
He scored a remarkable 175 in the Under-19 World Cup final against England earlier this year and made his second IPL hundred earlier this season – a century reached in 36 deliveries, also against Sunrisers.
He has been named in an India A squad for a 50-over tri-series in Sri Lanka next month but many have suggested he should be picked for the full national side’s white-ball tour to England this summer.
“He is the best T20 opener in the world. India have to pick him,” former England captain Michael Vaughan posted on X on Wednesday.
His side now play Jos Buttler’s Gujarat Titans in the second qualifier on Friday with the winner progressing to play defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Sunday’s final.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: BBC
