Vaibhav Sooryavanshi keeps rewriting the IPL record books. In Rajasthan Royals’ clash against Punjab Kings on Tuesday, the 15-year-old struck a 16-ball 43 and became the first batter to reach 400 runs in IPL 2026. His knock featured five maximums and three boundaries, and the manner of his hitting drew widespread admiration from former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who suggested that even having ten fielders on the ropes would not be enough to rein him in.
Gavaskar highlighted the fearless nature of Sooryavanshi’s batting, saying the shots he was playing looked brilliant and that the youngster did not appear rattled by the pressure. He added that the advantage of being so young is that you aren’t weighed down by what’s happening around you, and you’re not constantly looking at the opposition.
Turning to the match itself, Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey stitched together an unbeaten 77-run stand off just 32 deliveries, steering RR to a dramatic six-wicket win over Punjab Kings in the 40th game of the season at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Tuesday.
After 14 overs, the chase was tightly contested and the required rate climbed beyond 12, but Ferreira and Dubey made the pursuit look far simpler than the numbers suggested. They leaned into the situation as soon as the spinners came off, shifting their focus to the pace bowlers and keeping the scoreboard moving.
Arshdeep Singh was struck for three fours in his returning spell, while Marco Jansen conceded a four and a six. The pair maintained their tempo against Arshdeep, showing control and clean striking to complete the run chase and deliver Punjab Kings their first defeat of the campaign.
Earlier in the evening, Rajasthan’s chase gained momentum from Sooryavanshi’s rapid start. Following Yashasvi Jaiswal’s decision to hand the strike to him, the youngster made an immediate impact. Even though Arshdeep opened with two precise yorkers, Sooryavanshi responded with 6, 4, and 4, helping RR post 15 runs in the first over.
From there, he kept attacking against Lockie Ferguson and Jansen, dispatching boundaries and clearing the ropes with ease. Sooryavanshi reached 43 off 16 balls, striking three fours and five sixes, before Arshdeep altered his line and length enough to force a slice on a low full toss. Shreyas Iyer was positioned well to take the catch.
During his brief but explosive stay, Sooryavanshi also crossed 400 runs in just 167 balls at a strike rate of 238.09, the quickest mark of 400 runs in an IPL season. By the time he was dismissed, Rajasthan had already moved beyond 50 in just 3.2 overs and were on 66/1 after four overs.
After Sooryavanshi’s departure, Jaiswal finally found his rhythm. He struck Arshdeep for 4, 6, and 4, then accelerated to a 27-ball 51, reaching his half-century off 26 deliveries. Punjab Kings, however, struck back through Yuzvendra Chahal, who removed Jaiswal and then sent Riyan Parag back for 29.
Once those wickets fell, Rajasthan managed only 25 runs in the next four overs. They also lost Dhruv Jurel, who made 16 off 20 balls, before Ferreira and Dubey took over to finish the chase in the end.
