Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowling unit into a target, piling pressure on some of the biggest names in the sport. On this occasion, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were among those who found themselves on the receiving end of the 15-year-old’s ruthless strokeplay. Once again, Sooryavanshi didn’t look like a youngster playing within himself—he trusted his instincts, attacked anything over the stumps, and punished every ball that sat in his preferred areas. His IPL form has been so relentless that “anything” seems to be exactly what he’s getting, and he made it count with a rapid 15-ball fifty before finishing on 78 off only 25 deliveries. The knock also put to bed talk about a so-called “second-season” drop-off, leaving the impression that he can handle the biggest stages with confidence in every appearance.
For a moment, it looked as if Sooryavanshi might go after Chris Gayle’s long-standing IPL record for the quickest century—30 balls. He powered his way to 78 from just 24 balls, tearing through the bowling with complete authority. However, Krunal Pandya ensured the record stayed intact. On the 25th ball of his innings, the youngster perhaps didn’t find the sweet spot, and Virat Kohli held a catch at long-on, abruptly ending what had been an explosive run.
He struck Hazlewood immediately, smashing 18 runs off the first four deliveries he faced from the Australian. The assault began with a boundary, followed by a quick run of three consecutive fours, and then a towering six that underlined the pace and intent of his batting. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, too, couldn’t slow him down. Sooryavanshi punished him for back-to-back sixes, and continued to accelerate—he reached his half-century in just 15 balls, matching the pace of the mark he had set earlier in the season against CSK.
Fastest fifty by an Indian in IPL (by balls)
- 13 – Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) vs KKR, Kolkata, 2023
- 14 – KL Rahul (PBKS) vs DC, Mohali, 2018
- 15 – Yusuf Pathan (KKR) vs SRH, Kolkata, 2014
- 15 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) vs CSK, Guwahati, 2026
- 15 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) vs RCB, Guwahati, 2026*
The damage was done from the very top, and RCB looked like a side without answers once Sooryavanshi had taken control. With such a ferocious innings driving the chase, the 202-run target quickly lost its sharpness, turning into a much calmer run-in for the Royals. By the time the young opener finally got dismissed, they had already surged to 129/2 in only 8.1 overs, leaving little doubt about how the game was trending.
Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had been in trouble before Rajat Patidar stepped in with a steady yet aggressive spell of batting. The captain struck 63 off 40 balls, striking four sixes and finding the ropes four times as well. His knock proved pivotal in lifting RCB to 201/8 after they had slumped to 94/6. Even as wickets continued to tumble at the other end—including a brisk cameo from Virat Kohli, who scored 32 off 16—Patidar kept the scoreboard moving. He rotated the strike smartly and chose the right moments to attack, ensuring the innings never fully stalled.
The late acceleration arrived through Impact Sub Venkatesh Iyer, who provided the crucial momentum during the closing overs. Iyer’s 29 off just 15 balls, including a 21-run final over off Sandeep Sharma, gave Bengaluru the finishing boost they needed to break the 200-run barrier.
