Teen wonder Sooryavanshi's slams 93 to edge Rajasthan closer to IPL play-offs / Photo: Arun SANKAR - AFP
Teen wonder Sooryavanshi's slams 93 to edge Rajasthan closer to IPL play-offs
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck a blistering 93 to power Rajasthan Royals to a seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday to boost their play-off hopes in the IPL.
T20 sensation Sooryavanshi, who was playing as an impact substitute, struck his third half-century of the season as he hammered seven fours and 10 sixes in his 38-ball knock to guide Rajasthan's chase of 221 at their home in Jaipur.
Left-handed Sooryavanshi missed out on a century before Dhruv Jurel made an unbeaten 53 as Rajasthan achieved their target with five balls to spare for their seventh win in 13 matches and move into the top four of the 10-team table.
A win in their last league match against Mumbai Indians on Sunday will book the only remaining play-off spot.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad have already made the play-offs of the tournament that will conclude on May 31 in Ahmedabad.
Sooryavanshi's batting blitz trumped Lucknow opener Mitchell Marsh's 96, a knock that steered his team to an imposing 220-5.
The T20 sensation has been in red-hot form in the 2026 IPL, and passed March's tally of Marsh 563 runs to climb to the top of the batting chart with 579 runs in 13 matches.
He has hit one ton and has compiled his runs at a punishing strike-rate of 237.29.
Sooryavanshi's opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal provided the early impetus with his 23-ball 43 in a first-wicket stand of 75.
Jaiswal, a left-hander who stood in as captain in place of injured Riyan Parag, departed in the seventh over but Rajasthan kept up pace with Jurel and Sooryavanshi putting together 105 runs.
Sooryavanshi reached his fifty in 23 balls and changed gears to smack Prince Yadav for two straight sixes and another two off Mayank Yadav in a 29-run 12th over to put Lucknow on course.
He finally fell to Mohsin Khan with Abdul Samad taking a well-judged catch in the deep but the damage was done.
Bottom-placed Lucknow, who are already out of the play-off race along with Mumbai, had a blazing start with Josh Inglis, who made 60 off 29 balls, adding 109 for the first wicket with fellow Australian Marsh.
Inglis and then Nicholas Pooran departed but Marsh kept up the pace alongside skipper Rishabh Pant, who made 35.
The Rajasthan bowlers pulled things back in the final few overs and Marsh missed out on his hundred after being run out on the penultimate ball.
R.Hansen--HHA
