Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise in IPL 2026 has already turned into a storyline of near-milestones and sudden dismissals. After smashing 97 off 29 balls in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he returned for the Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans and made 96 off 46 deliveries—only to fall in the 18th over, caught by Prasidh Krishna off Kagiso Rabada.
Key takeaways
- Sooryavanshi scored 96 (off 46) in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 versus Gujarat Titans, after earlier making 97 (off 29) in the Eliminator.
- His dismissal came in the 18th over: caught by Prasidh Krishna off Kagiso Rabada.
- He missed the fastest IPL ton mark by three runs, with Chris Gayle’s record standing at 30 balls.
- Rajasthan Royals recovered from a poor start to post 214/6 in their 20 overs.
- Donovan Ferreira contributed a late surge with an unbeaten 38 off 11 balls.
From a near-fast record to another big innings
Sooryavanshi’s Eliminator knock of 97 off 29 balls had him three runs short of Chris Gayle’s IPL benchmark for the quickest hundred, which is 30 deliveries. On Friday, he was handed another opening in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2, this time against Gujarat Titans, and looked well on course to reach a third century of the season.
At one stage, it seemed likely the 15-year-old would convert his early momentum into yet another IPL hundred, particularly given the way he was building his innings. However, the breakthrough arrived when Kagiso Rabada bowled the 18th over and Sooryavanshi was caught by Prasidh Krishna.
Even with the wicket, the pattern of the dismissal echoed what had happened earlier. Once again, he was out after lofting a shot to third man. The ball was short and angled outside off stump, and Sooryavanshi tried to repeat the same kind of upper-cut attempt that had worked in the Eliminator—only to mistime it and send the catch skyward.
Gavaskar raises the tactical question
Former India great Sunil Gavaskar suggested that this is a kind of issue opponents can plan to target as the tournament progresses. He said that bowlers will look to exploit a perceived weakness and, when Sooryavanshi is in the 90s, a short-ball plan—combined with placing a deep third-man—can force him into the wrong option.
Gavaskar’s view was blunt: if a short-ball approach has worked against him, it becomes a repeatable tactic later in innings, especially once he reaches the 90-run zone.
Rajasthan’s 214/6 after a fiery Gujarat start
Sooryavanshi’s knock, backed by a late assault from Donovan Ferreira, pulled Rajasthan Royals away from a disastrous opening and helped them reach 214/6 in 20 overs against Gujarat Titans at Mullanpur in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2.
After a catastrophic beginning, the innings flipped because Sooryavanshi responded quickly with attacking intent. His counter-attacking half-century lifted RR from 13/2 to 214/6 by the end of the chase-setting innings. Ferreira’s finishing burst also mattered: he remained unbeaten on 38, coming off just 11 balls.
How the game swung: early wickets, then a surge
Rajasthan chose to bat first after winning the toss, but the decision backfired almost immediately. Gujarat’s pace attack struck right away, with Mohammed Siraj setting the tone by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for 1 in the opening over. The left-hander was caught while trying to free his arms early.
Disaster deepened in the next over when Kagiso Rabada removed Dhruv Jurel, leaving RR reeling at 13/2 after two overs. From there, Sooryavanshi responded with urgency, striking three boundaries off Siraj in the third over to start turning the momentum back towards Rajasthan.
By the completion of three overs, RR were 34/2. With the responsibility of steering the Powerplay largely falling on the 15-year-old, Sooryavanshi shifted the tempo decisively, and he did it alongside Ravindra Jadeja as they reached 70/2 after the Powerplay.
Jadeja’s injury, Parag’s aggression, and the wickets pile up
After eight overs, RR were 82/2 as Washington Sundar and Jason Holder kept things comparatively quiet. There was also a setback for Rajasthan when Jadeja retired hurt, walking off the field after feeling discomfort in his elbow. Even so, the innings did not lose momentum.
Riyan Parag, promoted into the role of attacker, wasted no time in taking the fight to Gujarat’s bowlers. Rajasthan scored 18 runs in the ninth over, bowled by Rashid Khan, as the side pushed back at the required rate.
Parag’s aggressive stay on the crease was short-lived, though, as Holder dismissed the RR captain in the 10th over. After 10 overs, Rajasthan were 103/3. Holder then struck again in the 12th over, removing Dasun Shanaka and taking RR to 111/4 in 12 overs.
Prasidh Krishna followed through in the 13th over, getting Jofra Archer out and reducing RR to 120/5 after 13 overs. Jadeja returned to the crease after Archer’s wicket, and while Rajasthan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, Sooryavanshi continued to build—bringing up his sixth fifty of the season in 31 balls.
