Once again, it was heartbreak for Rajasthan Royals as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came agonisingly close to a third straight century. For the second match in a row, the opening batter failed to reach the three-figure mark, falling for 96 after a promising start that had left Mullanpur dreaming of a defining knock in IPL 2026.<\/p>\n
Sooryavanshi had already shown his intent in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he smashed 97. He carried that form into Qualifier 2 versus Gujarat Titans, striking 96 in the contest held in Mullanpur, setting himself up for what would have been his third IPL century and second of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
But a short delivery once again proved decisive. Sooryavanshi, whose innings featured eight boundaries and seven sixes, was sent back by Kagiso Rabada on the second ball of the 18th over. The manner of dismissal felt eerily familiar to the previous game, as he was again taken in the third-man region.<\/p>\n
Rabada bowled a short ball outside off stump, and Sooryavanshi went for an upper cut. The attempt didn\u2019t connect cleanly enough, and Prasidh Krishna was called in for the catch, taking it safely to end the innings. Sooryavanshi walked off with a disappointed look, though the crowd at the Mullanpur stadium gave him a warm standing ovation.<\/p>\n
As soon as Sooryavanshi returned to the Rajasthan Royals dugout, cameras caught an intense exchange between the youngster and captain Riyan Parag. The scene quickly sparked debate on social media, with fans trying to interpret why the Royals skipper appeared so animated during the discussion.<\/p>\n
In the footage, Parag could be seen talking to Sooryavanshi while the batter stood quietly, still taking sips from his bottle as he tried to process what had happened. The interaction didn\u2019t end there either\u2014Parag continued to point and say something to his teammate, adding fuel to the speculation online.<\/p>\n
Despite missing out on a century, Sooryavanshi\u2019s 96-run effort helped him strengthen his grip on the Orange Cap standings. He now has 776 runs from 15 matches in IPL 2026, moving further ahead as one of the tournament\u2019s most consistent run-getters.<\/p>\n
His knock also carried major milestone value. Sooryavanshi became the quickest Indian to reach 1,000 runs, achieving the milestone in just 23 innings. He also holds the fastest route to 1,000 runs in terms of balls faced, reaching the mark in 440 deliveries. In addition, he became the youngest batter to touch 1,000 runs, surpassing Rishabh Pant\u2019s previous benchmark.<\/p>\n
With the 96, Sooryavanshi also took his place among the leading dismissals in the 90s. He now has three dismissals in the 90s, tied at the joint-highest figure alongside David Warner, KL Rahul, Glenn Maxwell, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the match, Rajasthan Royals posted 214\/6 in their 20 overs after choosing to bat. Along with Sooryavanshi, Ravindra Jadeja made a significant impact, while Donovan Ferreira provided support with a steady knock of his own.<\/p>\n
Jadeja finished unbeaten on 45, and Ferreira struck 38 not out as Rajasthan built a competitive total that looked dangerous on a track where batting had been possible.<\/p>\n
However, the target proved just out of reach as Shubman Gill responded with a match-defining 104. His century set up a successful chase, and Gujarat Titans eventually won with seven wickets in hand and eight balls remaining.<\/p>\n
With the result confirmed, Gujarat Titans advance to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 final. The title match is scheduled for Sunday, May 31, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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