'Fewer options against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi': Pat Cummins praises 15-year-old
What's the story
Rajasthan Royals (RR) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 47 runs to reach the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2. The star of the match was none other than RR's 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He scored an incredible 97 runs off just 29 balls, helping his team post a massive total of 243/8 in their allotted overs. Sooryavanshi, who broke numerous records, drew praise from even the opposition captain, Pat Cummins.
Captain's acknowledgment
'Sooryavanshi's innings was the turning point'
After the match, Cummins admitted that Sooryavanshi's innings was the turning point of the game. He said, "He played pretty well. Don't feel like you have too many options. Obviously, it was a really good pitch, but the margins are so small." Cummins also noted that when Sooryavanshi is batting, even a slight mistake can be punished with boundaries or sixes.
Match details
Cummins praises RR despite heavy defeat
Cummins had a tough day with the ball, conceding 60 runs in his four overs. Sooryavanshi particularly targeted him, scoring 31 runs off his overs. Despite this defeat, Cummins praised his team's overall performance in the tournament. He said they were "one tiny little bit away from being in the top two" and commended their attitude throughout the season.
Match highlights
RR secure spot in Qualifier 2
Sooryavanshi's explosive innings helped Rajasthan Royals post a massive total of 243 runs. Chasing the target, SRH coped with early blows and never recovered thereafter. The Orange Army perished for 196 in just 19.2 overs. The win was a collective effort as Jofra Archer also played a key role with the ball, dismissing three SRH batsmen during the Powerplay.
Records
Sooryavanshi reaches these landmarks
Sooryavanshi is now the first batter in IPL history to smack 60-plus sixes in a season. As reported earlier, he bettered Chris Gayle's record of 59. As per Cricbuzz, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to surpass 600 runs in an IPL season, going past Rishabh Pant, who did so for Delhi Capitals in 2018. The former now has the most runs by an uncapped batter in an IPL season (680), bettering Yashasvi Jaiswal's 625 in IPL 2023.