Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is once again stealing the spotlight in IPL 2026, and this time it wasn’t only his batting that had fans talking. The Rajasthan Royals teenager delivered a destructive knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, and a brief post-match interaction involving SRH co-owner Kavya Maran soon became an online talking point as well.
Viral post-match gesture after Royals’ Eliminator win
After Rajasthan Royals completed a dominant 47-run victory at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Maran was captured greeting the 15-year-old batter. The clip shows her shaking hands with Sooryavanshi near the boundary ropes, a moment that the IPL later circulated on social media and which quickly spread across cricket circles.
Sooryavanshi’s 97 rewrites playoff history
The gesture came on the back of one of the most explosive innings seen in IPL postseason cricket. Sooryavanshi, opening in a left-handed stance, smashed 97 runs off only 29 balls. His innings featured 12 sixes and five fours, striking at a rate of over 334—an output that swung the contest firmly in Rajasthan’s favour.
- Score: 97 runs from 29 deliveries
- Boundaries: 12 sixes and five fours
- Strike rate: above 334
- Impact: helped Rajasthan reach 243/8 in their 20 overs
Although he fell just short of a century, the teenager still etched his name into multiple record books. Sooryavanshi surpassed Chris Gayle’s mark for the most sixes in a single IPL season, underlining how his breakout run in IPL 2026 is gathering momentum.
Archer keeps SRH on the back foot as Hyderabad fall short
With Rajasthan’s batting setting a massive platform, Jofra Archer played a key role in ensuring Sunrisers Hyderabad never truly found a foothold in the chase. The England fast bowler struck early and finished with three crucial wickets, removing important batters and maintaining pressure throughout the innings.
- Wicket haul: three wickets for Jofra Archer
- Effect: key early dismissals to stall SRH’s chase
- Top scores for Hyderabad: Nitish Kumar Reddy 38, Ishan Kishan 33
SRH were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, bringing their IPL 2026 campaign to an end just short of the final stages.
Next stop for Rajasthan: Qualifier 2 vs Gujarat Titans
Rajasthan Royals move forward to Qualifier 2, where they will take on Gujarat Titans for a place in the IPL 2026 final. The result leaves SRH eliminated, while Sooryavanshi’s blockbuster display continues to define the narrative of this edition’s playoffs.
