Vaibhav Sooryavanshi appeared destined to rewrite the IPL record books in the 2026 Eliminator, but his sensational run ended on 97 as Rajasthan Royals fell just shy of a historic finish. The 15-year-old opener made 97 off 29 balls—featuring 12 sixes and 5 fours—after nearly reaching a milestone that would have broken Chris Gayle’s benchmark for the quickest IPL century. After RR posted a commanding 243 for 8 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in New Chandigarh on Wednesday, Sooryavanshi spoke about keeping his mindset clear despite the occasion and explained the shot that ultimately brought his innings to an end.
Sooryavanshi’s near-miss and the record that almost went
The teenager had already moved to 97, and one more scoring shot—three runs off a single delivery—would have shattered Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest IPL hundred, which stands at 30 balls (set with Pune Warriors in 2013). Instead, his innings ended when he was dismissed by Praful Hinge.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made 97 runs off 29 balls.
- His innings included 12 sixes and 5 fours.
- He fell short of Gayle’s fastest IPL ton mark by one delivery’s worth of runs.
- Praful Hinge was the bowler who dismissed him.
What Rajasthan said after the Orange Cap knock
Having already captured attention with a rapid 28-ball 97 in a high-pressure Eliminator, Sooryavanshi described how he tried to block out the noise around the occasion. Rajasthan Royals went on to post 243 for 8 against SRH during the Indian Premier League match at New Chandigarh on Wednesday, and the opener said he deliberately focused on playing his natural brand rather than getting carried away by the moment.
When asked if the record chase was crossing his mind, he replied that it was indeed in his thoughts. He added that his coaches urged him to bat freely, enjoy the game, and avoid letting pressure affect his decision-making.
He also clarified how the century attempt came about. In his words, he wasn’t truly thinking about reaching a hundred in that specific way; instead, he played the shot after reading the field. He admitted he mistimed the stroke. He further explained that if he had aimed it more towards third man, it likely would have cleared the boundary, but he tried to hit straight and ended up missing the execution.
How Sunrisers tried to contain him
SRH captain Pat Cummins began with a carefully defensive plan aimed at disrupting Sooryavanshi’s rhythm. The field placements included deep square leg and deep midwicket, and Cummins’ approach relied heavily on bowling deliveries that were nearly full and straight.
- Cummins opened with a defensive field, including deep square leg and deep midwicket.
- Most of the teenager’s early balls were met with full, straight deliveries.
- The plan held for only a brief spell before one overpitched ball disappeared over mid-off for six.
RR finished the opening over with a strong platform, sitting at 9 without loss. Soon after, the pressure increased further as Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain were also struck for heavy damage.
From 50 in a rush to a big total
Sooryavanshi accelerated rapidly, reaching 50 in just 16 balls and matching Suresh Raina’s mark for the fastest half-century in an IPL playoff. He also moved ahead of Chris Gayle to claim the record for the most sixes in a T20 tournament. By the end of the fourth over, he had already raced to 36 from 10 deliveries, leaving Rajasthan at 63 without loss.
At the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal provided a quieter, almost watchful presence—scoring 19 from 16 balls—while Sooryavanshi dominated the strike with overwhelming control. At that stage, it looked like Gayle’s fastest IPL century record was within reach, but the innings ended at 97 when Sooryavanshi top-edged an attempted uppercut off Praful Hinge to deep third.
After the breakthrough, RR’s momentum continued. They advanced to 125 for 1 after eight overs, and then the momentum barely dipped. Dhruv Jurel launched a ferocious counterattack, reaching 50 off 20 balls after taking apart Cummins and Shivang Kumar with scoops, pulls, and towering straight hits. Rajasthan then climbed to 192 for 3 in 13.5 overs, before wickets started to fall in clusters, including the dismissals of Riyan Parag and Dasun Shanaka.
In the closing stages, Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja combined to add a quick 20 from 12 balls. SRH, however, responded well at the end, using Nitish Kumar Reddy’s accurate wide yorkers and a sharp boundary catch from Abhishek Sharma to remove Jofra Archer. When the innings concluded, SRH were set a formidable target as Rajasthan Royals finished on 243 for 8.
