Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi admitted he only realised the details of the IPL’s quickest century after the match, with his explosive knock falling three runs short of the mark. Even without the record, he produced an innings for the ages—97 off 29 balls, featuring 12 sixes and five fours at a strike rate of 334.48—to lift RR to a 47-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator on Wednesday. The victory means Rajasthan will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.
Sooryavanshi’s blistering knock and what it broke
- Sooryavanshi struck at an outrageous pace, finishing on 97 from 29 deliveries with 12 maximums and five boundaries.
- Rajasthan’s total and the manner of the batting helped them hold their nerve, ultimately beating SRH by 47 runs.
- While he narrowly missed the IPL record for the fastest hundred, he set a new milestone for six-hitting in a season.
- In IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi finished with 65 sixes, surpassing Chris Gayle’s previous tally of the most maximums in a season.
- Gayle’s fastest IPL century is a 30-ball hundred against Pune Warriors in 2013, and Sooryavanshi was reported to be just one ball away from rewriting that benchmark.
Speaking at the post-match presentation when asked about missing the quickest hundred, Sooryavanshi said he only learned about it after the game. He added that his primary objective was to clear the ropes and pile up runs for the team, explaining that he follows a clear batting plan and looks to correct any areas that fall short.
On how he prepared for the contest, the RR star described his approach as analysing how to read the bowlers, assessing the length, and paying close attention to the boundaries. He said that when he shows intent, it puts the bowler under immediate pressure.
He also reflected on the mindset going forward, stating that with the result already secured, the team’s focus is on celebrating briefly and then improving for the next assignment. He said he does not overthink the bowlers and simply tries to play his own game.
Riyan Parag on giving Sooryavanshi freedom
RR captain Riyan Parag said the team management intentionally gives Sooryavanshi space to operate. Parag explained that there are not many conversations with him during the process; instead, they provide plenty of batting practice and allow him to execute his preparation.
Parag’s match assessment highlighted both sides of the performance. He felt Rajasthan should have pushed even further — suggesting they were on course for around 260— while also praising their bowling effort, describing it as impressive and controlled under pressure.
He agreed that playing two must-win matches in succession has helped the group. Parag said such situations bring out the best in people and that everyone has shown up more intensely over the previous two games.
Parag also discussed the team’s England pacer Jofra Archer, who returned with bowling figures of 3/58 to help RR dismiss SRH for 196. Parag said the pair keep up a bit of banter, adding that Archer is among the very best in T20 cricket for pace and impact, bowling around 150 kilometres per hour. Archer, when asked for his view, kept it simple—he said he “bowled alright”.
Archer then elaborated on the bowling plan, noting that in most cases the side that takes the most wickets during the powerplay tends to win, and that Rajasthan achieved that. He stressed the need to stay composed when bowling to the SRH top order, adding that even good and bad balls can end up in the same areas of the field, so the key is to keep your nerve.
On Sooryavanshi’s innings, Archer said it was exciting because the more runs he scores, the more Rajasthan have to defend—while also remarking that the batter can potentially reach even 150.
When asked how to bowl to Sooryavanshi, Archer joked that he would explain “after the IPL,” before adding that the team is taking the journey one game at a time and moving in the right direction. He also referenced the danger of repeating past disasters, saying they do not want something that happened to Kings XI to occur to them on their road to the final.
Pat Cummins and SRH’s view of the defeat
SRH captain Pat Cummins attributed the loss to wickets falling in clusters at the wrong moment. He said that chasing 245 requires multiple things to go right, but Rajasthan took wickets at key times. Cummins also noted that SRH were very close to finishing in the top two, while praising the team’s efforts despite the outcome.
On Sooryavanshi, Cummins said the RR batter played well on a pitch that offered its own challenges, but emphasised how fine the margins are in T20 cricket—especially when yorkers are missed by the smallest degree. He described the wicket as good and suggested SRH were facing a well-rounded opponent.
Cummins also pointed to promising contributions from newer bowlers. He singled out Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain as having done well, adding that SRH are among the youngest teams to reach the playoffs and that the coaching group has unearthed a few standout talents.
