Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was left impressed after Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered a match-shaping knock, despite the youngster being just 15 years old. Sooryavanshi struck 78 off 26 balls, only for Dhruv Jurel to steady the chase with an unbeaten 81 as Rajasthan Royals overcame the defending champions by six wickets with two overs remaining, extending their unbeaten run to four straight matches.
What Bhuvneshwar Kumar said after the match
- Bhuvneshwar praised Sooryavanshi’s shot-making, saying the youngster is not merely swinging wildly but striking the ball “properly,” and that his technique and decision-making look far beyond his age.
- He added that while Sooryavanshi’s batting drew attention with its maturity, it also deserved full credit because the batter was executing well rather than just taking risks for the sake of it.
- Despite the pace and fireworks of the innings—featuring eight fours and seven sixes—Bhuvneshwar felt RCB never believed they were completely outclassed in the contest.
- He argued that in T20 cricket, even a young player batting with such control can be part of the format, and that RCB were not overly concerned by the outcome.
- Bhuvneshwar also pointed to the fine margins of the game, noting that RCB had plans and even dropped a catch, but that such moments happen in cricket and they could not fully execute what they intended.
- He said the match can look slightly slower from outside than it feels on the field, insisting that Sooryavanshi played good shots and RCB did not see an obvious way to do something drastically different.
RCB’s squad change and the impact on their bowling options
With the need to add batting depth in their pursuit of a challenging total, RCB made a tactical change during the chase. Venkatesh Iyer was brought in, replacing the leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, a decision that ultimately affected RCB’s bowling flexibility.
Bhuvneshwar explained the thinking behind the adjustment. He said it is difficult to deploy spinners during the powerplay, and that RCB had only one left-arm spinner available after the selection, which meant they used an Impact player instead of Suyash. He further noted that without an off-spinner, it also made sense from a matchup perspective to have a left-arm bowler face a left-handed batter—especially as the innings was unfolding.
In the end, Rajasthan’s chase was held together by Jurel’s unbeaten 81, while Sooryavanshi’s 78 off 26 balls had powered the Royals into a position they were able to defend with time to spare.
RCB will now turn their attention to their next fixture against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on Sunday.
