Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered one of the standout performances of IPL 2026 in Qualifier 2, but Rajasthan Royals fell short and were beaten by Gujarat Titans by seven wickets, ending their bid to reach the final. The 15-year-old’s brilliant innings still wasn’t enough as the rest of the batting line-up failed to support the momentum he created.
Ashwin’s reaction to a valiant effort
Ravichandran Ashwin, a former India spinner and ex-Rajasthan Royals player, voiced his disappointment after witnessing Sooryavanshi’s heroic knock go in vain. Speaking on his YouTube show “Ash Ki Baat,” Ashwin said he was saddened that such a remarkable innings ended in defeat.
“Main mayoos hoon (I am sad),” Ashwin said. He noted that Sooryavanshi has been outstanding throughout IPL 2026, reaching nearly 800 runs, but stressed that the highlight for him was the innings played in this qualifier. Ashwin pointed out that the pitch and conditions offered assistance to the bowlers, yet the teenager still managed to thrive against some of the toughest names in world T20 cricket, including Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Jason Holder.
Ashwin also acknowledged the fine margins of the game, mentioning that luck played a role at times and that a catch was dropped. However, he underlined that Sooryavanshi’s ability to adjust his batting, reshape his shots, and read the conditions was exceptional. In Ashwin’s view, he deserved a better outcome than a loss, and he felt Rajasthan struggled as a unit even though the innings itself was extraordinary.
“Rajasthan Royals were underwhelming,” Ashwin added. While he credited Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan for batting brilliantly, he insisted RR let down the young batter who produced something truly special.
Qualifier 2: how the innings unfolded
- Rajasthan Royals had a shaky start after being reduced to 9/2 during the powerplay.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal made 1 before falling, while Dhruv Jurel contributed 7, both dismissed early by Kagiso Rabada.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi then steadied the innings with Ravindra Jadeja, who struck 45 off 35 balls before retiring hurt due to an elbow issue.
- Once Jadeja left the field, Rajasthan’s middle order collapsed quickly, with Riyan Parag scoring 11 before more wickets fell in succession.
- Amid the chaos, Sooryavanshi stood firm and played a breathtaking innings of 96 off 47 balls, hitting eight fours and seven sixes at a strike rate above 204.
- Donovan Ferreira added finishing value late on, smashing an unbeaten 38 off just 11 deliveries to help Rajasthan post 214/6.
Even though Rajasthan put up a competitive total, Gujarat Titans chased it down comfortably, securing their place in the IPL 2026 final.
