Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to evolve his limited-overs repertoire on Tuesday, borrowing from the late-career magic of MS Dhoni by landing the helicopter shot twice during his innings against Punjab Kings at the New Chandigarh Stadium. The Ra j asthan Royals opener’s aggressive timing and fearless execution punctured the opposition’s plans, even as Punjab Kings eventually found a breakthrough immediately after his second maximum.
Helicopter moments that swung the momentum
- On the fourth ball of the second over, Lockie Ferguson sent a fuller delivery onto Sooryavanshi’s pads. He flicked it with emphatic wrist work, replicating the helicopter action straight from Dhoni’s manual, launching the ball over mid-wicket for six.
- On the first ball of the fourth over, Arshdeep Singh angled another fuller ball toward leg stump. Sooryavanshi moved into position and whipped it away with a bat-twirl, again sending it over mid-wicket for six using the same helicopter-shot template.
- The very next delivery brought the end of his cameo, with Arshdeep Singh removing Sooryavanshi for 43 off 16, giving Punjab Kings a crucial wicket and a chance to settle after the early damage.
The dismissal provided a welcome release for the home side. Before getting out, the 15-year-old had already created havoc in the powerplay, striking three boundaries and five sixes as Rajasthan raced to 51 runs inside the opening 19 balls. His power-hitting through the early overs has been a recurring theme, with 319 runs in the powerplay coming off just 130 balls at a strike rate of 245.4.
Sooryavanshi’s season has been equally impactful beyond the early phase. The opener has amassed 400 runs in nine innings, maintaining a strike rate of 238.09, including one century and two fifties. He currently sits as the leading run-scorer of the campaign, holding the Orange Cap for a second time.
Punjab’s build-up and the late surge
Earlier, Punjab Kings laid the foundation through Prabhsimran Singh, who struck 59 off 44 to set a positive tone. He was supported by Priyansh Arya, scoring 29 off 11, along with Cooper Connolly’s brisk 30 off 14, as Punjab looked to accelerate.
Rajasthan Royals steadied the middle overs and squeezed the run flow, but momentum returned for Punjab when Marcus Stoinis took control. Stoinis smashed an unbeaten 62 off just 22 deliveries, striking six sixes and four fours, and used that burst to flip the pressure back onto the chasing side.
With the pressure mounting, Punjab ended strongly—adding 55 runs in the final three overs—to reach a target of 223.
