Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old batting standout Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has continued to rewrite IPL history, becoming the first player to reach 500-plus runs specifically in the powerplay phase of a single IPL season. The milestone arrived during the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 at Mullanpur on Friday, where Sooryavanshi’s 31 runs came from 17 deliveries in the first six overs—an unusually measured knock for a batter known for acceleration. His season tally in overs 1 to 6 now stands at 521, leaving the previous best well behind.
Sooryavanshi’s record: powerplay runs that set a new benchmark
Sooryavanshi’s powerplay output has been so dominant that it places him at the top of an elite IPL list that tracks most runs scored in overs 1–6 in an edition.
- 521 runs — Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (IPL 2026), strike rate 233.63
- 467 runs — David Warner (2016, Sunrisers Hyderabad), strike rate 150.16
- 402 runs — Travis Head (2024), strike rate 208.29
- 402 runs — Sai Sudharsan (2025), strike rate 155.81
- 382 runs — Adam Gilchrist (2009), strike rate 165.36
Qualifier 2 in Mullanpur: Rajasthan opt to bat after winning the toss
In the Qualifier 2 encounter against Gujarat Titans at Mullanpur, Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag won the toss and elected to bat first. Parag’s stance at the start was clear—he felt the pitch would behave similarly to the previous match, though he expected the pace to slow slightly as the innings moved toward the back end, especially with bowlers using slower deliveries to control the tempo.
He also framed the contest as a semi-final, stressing that the side’s focus was on producing a strong 40 overs of cricket and letting the better execution decide the outcome. Speaking on fitness, Parag acknowledged that the group was dealing with strain, describing himself as “hanging by a thread,” while also crediting the support staff for handling injuries and recoveries. With the game on the line, he insisted that availability mattered less than the team’s willingness to fight for every phase of play.
Parag’s key messages at the toss
- Rajasthan would bat first, with Parag expecting a wicket close to the one used in the previous fixture.
- He believed the surface would slow a little in the later stages, and that his team could look to extract runs against bowlers who leaned on slower balls.
- With the match now at semi-final intensity, Parag said the team’s instruction was to play a strong 40 overs and win by executing better cricket.
- On fitness, he noted everyone was under heavy strain—“hanging by a thread”—but insisted injuries would not decide effort levels.
- Regarding lineup, he confirmed there would be no changes: “Same team.”
Teams and playing XIs: GT make one switch; RR unchanged
Gujarat Titans made a single alteration for the match, bringing back R Sai Kishore. Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, stuck with an unchanged XI as they chased a decisive performance in Qualifier 2.
- Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jogra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja
- Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
