Rajasthan Royals received a major jolt in their IPL clash against Punjab Kings on Tuesday, with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivering yet another explosive start. Chasing 223, the Royals youngster struck 43 off just 16 balls, smashing five sixes and three fours to help keep the chase on the boil. His big-hitting spree also pushed him to 99 T20 sixes in 511 balls across 27 innings, putting him on course to overhaul Kieron Pollard’s record of the quickest to reach 100 T20 maximums—currently set at 843 deliveries—though the timing of that feat remains the key question.
Key takeaways
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 43 off 16 balls in the Royals chase of 223 against Punjab Kings.
- His innings featured five sixes and three fours, taking him to 99 T20 sixes from 511 balls in 27 innings.
- The target Punjab Kings set was 222/4, after Marcus Stoinis struck a fast 22-ball half-century.
- Rajasthan’s bowlers conceded 55 runs in the final three overs, including 24 off Brijesh Sharma’s last over.
- Leg-spinner Yash Raj Punja finished with 2/41 from four overs, including key breakthroughs late in the innings.
Punjab’s chase-building effort and the late surge
Earlier in the same match, Marcus Stoinis took control with a brutal burst that left Rajasthan playing catch-up on a surface that kept offering some bounce but demanded intent from the batters. Punjab Kings finished on 222 for 4, driven by a fast half-century from Stoinis, who remained unbeaten at 62 off 22 deliveries. His knock included six maximums and four fours, setting a demanding total for the Royals to overhaul.
Punjab’s top order did provide early momentum. Prabhsimran Singh made 59 from 44 balls, Priyansh Arya struck 29 off 11, and Cooper Connolly contributed 30 off 14. Yet none of them were able to convert their starts into a sizeable innings, largely because the conditions made it difficult to sustain big scoring phases for long stretches, even with the ball coming on.
As the innings progressed, Rajasthan’s bowlers struggled to maintain control at the death. The Royals conceded 55 runs in the last three overs, and Brijesh Sharma’s pace spell went against the plan—he returned figures of 0/42 in his four overs. The damage was most pronounced in the final over, where 24 runs came off his bowling.
Sooryavanshi’s fireworks and Yash Raj Punja’s turning point
Stoinis, who had not been heavily featured this season, relied on sheer power and benefited from length balls finding his hitting zone. Jofra Archer was among the bowlers who still had to concede, finishing with 1/40, but the general theme was that Rajasthan allowed deliveries to land within the Australian’s preferred strike area.
Despite the late onslaught, credit stood out for Yash Raj Punja, the leg-spinner who produced a disciplined spell while also mixing up his approach. Listed at 6 feet 4 inches, he varied pace, wasn’t afraid to flight the ball, adjusted his length as required, and kept Punjab in check until the 16th over. His final figures read 2 for 41 from four overs.
The turning moment for Yash Raj came when Connolly looked set to accelerate further. With the batter “cutting loose” through the timing of his strokes, the leg-spinner changed the plan by lofting a delivery outside off stump and asking Connolly to reach for it. The result was a comfortable long-off catch taken by Donovan Ferreira, halting Punjab’s momentum.
Prabhsimran, although he reached a fifty and struck six boundaries along with a six, never quite found smoothness in his timing. Yash Raj slowed the pace—his average speed was in the early 90s (kmph)—and lured Prabhsimran into making a hurried, desperate attempt. The batter ended up throwing his shot without being close to the line of the ball. Riyan Parag completed the dismissal with a clean catch.
With PTI inputs.
