Vaibhav Sooryavanshi looked unstoppable in Rajasthan Royals’ pursuit of 230 against Gujarat Titans, ripping into the new ball with power and precision before Mohammed Siraj delivered a sharp reply to break the flow. The 15-year-old’s explosive start was memorable, but it was Siraj’s execution under pressure—and Ashish Nehra’s tactical reminders—that ultimately swung the momentum.
Sooryavanshi’s electric start vs Siraj
Facing Mohammed Siraj, Sooryavanshi launched the first ball he received for a huge six over long-on, setting an aggressive tone right away. He then kept the pressure on through the powerplay, continuing to find the boundary with a mix of fours and sixes.
- On his first delivery against Siraj, Sooryavanshi cleared the fence for a six over long-on.
- In the third over, he struck three fours off Siraj.
- After an initial burst of scoring, he was also seen hitting two sixes off Kagiso Rabada.
The dismissal: a bouncer executed perfectly
Even as it seemed like Sooryavanshi might cruise through the experienced India pacer, Siraj delivered a turning point. The decisive ball was a bouncer clocked at 146.6 kph, which forced Sooryavanshi to hurry onto his stroke.
The delivery carried off the top edge and flew to the right of short fine leg, where Arshad Khan took the catch. In the moments before the wicket, Gujarat Titans coach Ashish Nehra was seen gesturing to Siraj—emphasising smart bowling and sticking to the plan. After the dismissal, Siraj reacted with visible fury.
The moment was framed as a “revenge week” twist, highlighting the impact of Siraj and Nehra’s execution under pressure.
Record-setting teenager and GT’s chase-building innings
Sooryavanshi’s outing came on the back of a remarkable milestone story in men’s T20 cricket. The Rajasthan Royals teenager scripted history by becoming the quickest and youngest batter to reach 100 sixes, doing it in only 29 innings. He also reached the landmark in terms of balls faced faster than anyone else, taking just 514 deliveries to get there.
In the 2026 IPL season up to that point, he had been Rajasthan’s leading run-getter with 440 runs from 11 innings, maintaining an average of 40.00 and a strike rate of 236.55. His season haul included one century and two fifties.
Meanwhile, the match itself started with Gujarat Titans posting a commanding total. Guided by polished fifties from captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, and supported by a late surge from Washington Sundar, GT finished on 229/4 in 20 overs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday.
- Gujarat Titans reached 200+ thanks to fifties from Shubman Gill (84 off 44) and Sai Sudharsan (55 off 36).
- Washington Sundar added a late cameo of 37* off 20 balls.
- RR’s stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal won the toss and put GT in to bat, stepping in for the injured Riyan Parag.
How the Titans built their 229/4
With the Titans chasing momentum from the outset, the three batting contributions—Gill, Sudharsan, and Sundar—formed the backbone of the total. Gill’s 84 and Sudharsan’s 55 ensured the innings stayed on track, while Sundar’s late burst of 37 not out helped GT set a steep target of 230 for Rajasthan.
