Vaibhav Sooryavanshi marked Rajasthan Royals’ march to the business end of IPL 2026 with a late social-media post that carried just three words after steering RR to victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator on Wednesday. The 15-year-old struck at a staggering pace, smashing 97 off only 29 balls and falling just short of Chris Gayle’s mark for the quickest T20 century.
Young star’s defining knock
After the match, Sooryavanshi took to Instagram and shared photos from the game along with the caption: “Hungry for more”. The explosive innings not only powered RR in the knockout, but also set the stage for the next round—because the result keeps the Royals on course for the IPL 2026 Final.
What it means for Rajasthan Royals’ path to the final
With the win in the Eliminator, Rajasthan Royals moved one step closer to a showdown against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 title match. RR will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday to determine who advances to the final.
AB de Villiers lavishes praise on Sooryavanshi
Former South Africa batter and IPL icon AB de Villiers heaped praise on the teenage opener, calling the level of “game awareness” displayed at 15 “remarkable” after Sooryavanshi’s match-altering performance versus Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- de Villiers said what impressed him most was not only the quality of the hitting, but also the maturity and calmness Sooryavanshi showed in a high-pressure knockout.
- He pointed out that Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Pat Cummins, kept trying different looks—switching the field and varying lengths to unsettle the batter—but Sooryavanshi stayed focused and stayed “locked into his own bubble” through the innings.
- He described the awareness and composure in a knockout as unusually advanced for a player of such a young age.
SRH’s tactics, RR’s response
According to de Villiers, Sooryavanshi’s innings completely disrupted SRH’s bowling plans. Even with Cummins starting with defensive fields and yorker-heavy approaches, the teenager responded to each tactical change with fearless strokeplay as Rajasthan Royals raced to 125 in eight overs.
- de Villiers noted that Sooryavanshi appeared ready for every adjustment SRH attempted during the innings.
- He added that whether SRH bowled short or tried to catch him with fuller deliveries, the youngster seemed prepared and in control.
“97 off 29” and a fearless statement
de Villiers summed up the knock by emphasising the sheer scale of the achievement—scoring 97 off 29 balls in an Eliminator while dominating all parts of the ground. He said it was an extraordinary display of fearless batting and underlined why Sooryavanshi is already being spoken about alongside some of the most destructive players the IPL has produced.
