Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s reputation as a destructive power-hitter is no longer in question, but IPL 2026 has added a new layer to his profile: reliability. This season, he has delivered scores of 52, 31, 39, 78, 0, 46, 8, 103 and 43, giving him the top spot among the run-getters with 400 runs from nine innings. His average stands at 44.44, while his strike rate reads 238.09. The right-hand batter has already become the first player in the tournament to reach the 400-run milestone, with one century and two fifties to his name so far.
On Tuesday, Sooryavanshi struck 43 off just 16 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings, further underlining his impact at the top of the order.
Sooryavanshi’s growing aura
Ahead of the clash, former India cricketers Murali Kartik and Mohit Sharma discussed the sense of occasion surrounding the Royals batter. Sharma compared the way crowds, players and broadcasters gravitate towards a star to the presence once seen around Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“There are two such players… before this, there was one player, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, for whom, no matter which of the ten franchises or which of the ten grounds you go to, you will see one name, the same aura, the same love for him everywhere,” Sharma said.
He added that Sooryavanshi is beginning to draw similar attention across venues, with everyone—from commentators and camera crews to opposition players—wanting to be part of the moment when he’s around. Sharma said he has only observed that kind of pull from two players in his experience.
Rajasthan chase 223 to beat Punjab Kings by six wickets
In the match itself, Donovan Ferreira’s fearless batting proved decisive as Punjab Kings suffered their first defeat of the campaign. Rajasthan Royals completed the chase against a high-pressure target of 223, cruising home by six wickets with four balls remaining in a thrilling encounter on Tuesday.
- Rajasthan Royals set their chase at 223 after Punjab Kings posted a total of 222 for 4.
- With the run-rate climbing late, Rajasthan still needed 71 runs off the final six overs.
- Ferreira took charge, smashing an unbeaten 52 off 26 deliveries to keep the chase alive and accelerate when it mattered.
- Shubham Dubey provided crucial support, remaining not out on 31 from 12 balls as the pair finished the job together.
- Rajasthan reached the target with four balls to spare, winning by six wickets.
Ferreira’s innings was built on smart shot selection, while the Royals bowlers also came under scrutiny after Punjab’s batting set such a competitive mark. The Punjab Kings bowling unit—Arshdeep Singh (1/68 in four overs), Lockie Ferguson (0/57 in four overs) and Marco Jansen (0/41 in 3.2 overs)—will want to forget the day, as Ferreira and Dubey overturned their efforts.
Between the two finishers, Rajasthan struck nine fours and five sixes, undoing the earlier momentum created by Yuzvendra Chahal (3/36 in four overs).
Chasing the target, Sooryavanshi looked set to take the game away early. He began the innings with a barrage of five sixes, including two flicked maximums off Arshdeep Singh and Lockie Ferguson. At that stage, it appeared Rajasthan would cruise through the chase.
Arshdeep had a moment of luck when Sooryavanshi didn’t manage a sixth six. The batter mistimed a full toss, but Shreyas Iyer collected the chance comfortably. Even with that small reprieve, it was Chahal who brought Rajasthan back into a competitive rhythm just as Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 off 27 balls) seemed to be steadily taking the match away alongside Dhruv Jurel (20 off 16 balls).
Still, Jurel’s dismissal turned into a turning point in the contest. He offered an easy catch for a full toss, and the manner in which Jaiswal and captain Riyan Parag—who made 29 off 16—were removed deserved attention as well.
In both cases, the ball’s pace was reduced and it was lofted outside the off-stump line, denying them room to swing freely. The two batters were eventually caught at long-off.
From there, though, Ferreira and Dubey had a different plan, sweeping aside the impact of Chahal’s earlier work to keep Rajasthan’s chase moving forward.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Kings had laid the platform with 222 for 4 after being put into bat. Stoinis powered his way to a 20-ball half-century, even as the young leg-spinner Yash Raj Punja put up a spirited challenge.
