Teen Sooryavanshi Equals Record to Power Rajasthan to Fourth IPL Win
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi tore the Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowling to shreds and equalized the record for the fastest fifty in this season’s IPL, guiding unbeaten Rajasthan Royals to a fourth successive victory on Friday.
Sooryavanshi hit eight fours and seven towering sixes during his 26-ball 78 to reach his career half-century from just 15 deliveries. He also hit a 15-ball fifty in Royals’ opener against Chennai Super Kings.
“Everyone loves him and enjoys having him around,” said Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag. “He’s still a kid. And he loves hitting.”
The young prodigy found a talented ally in Dhruv Jurel at the ACA Stadium and helped Rajasthan facilitate a competitive 201-8 drubbing of Bengaluru. The score represented a massive recovery, led by skipper Rajat Patidar, after the defending champions collapsed to 125-7 in 14 overs.
Dispatching the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar for two fours in the first over of the chase, left-hander Sooryavanshi came up against Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who was playing his first match of the season.
Sooryavanshi hit three fours and a six in Hazlewood’s second over to ensure that Rajasthan remained unaffected by the loss of opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal with 21 players on the board.
Jurel, who finished unbeaten on 81, matched Sooryavanshi’s knock for the second wicket of 108 off just 37 deliveries.
Sooryavanshi had snatched the Orange Cap from Jaiswal as the season’s top scorer when he was caught by left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya at long-on.
“I try to repeat what I did in training and not do anything extra. I support my natural game,” Sooryavanshi said.
“I’m trying to play ball and not a bowler. My father, my coaches, my guardian Romi (Bhinder, Rajasthan Royals team manager), they keep telling me that the journey is long.
“They tell me to focus on my process and my game without distracting my mind from other things.”
Pandya removed Shimron Hetmyer’s first ball and Hazlewood had Rajasthan skipper Riyan Parag caught at long-on, but Jurel and veteran left-hander Ravindra Jadeja survived the loss of three wickets for five runs in 10 deliveries with a measured fifth-wicket stand of 68.
Earlier, when play started 70 minutes late due to persistent downpour, Bengaluru were rocked by Phil Salt being dismissed with the first ball after England teammate Jofra Archer homered.
Virat Kohli played a couple of good innings, hitting 32 in 16 overs until he was bowled by a stumper from Ravi Bishnoi.
Bishnoi, Archer and Brijesh Sharma took two wickets each to take Bengaluru back when Patidar came forward.
The skipper was 27 off 26 deliveries when Romario Shepherd was dismissed in the seventh batsman.
Accompanied by batting substitute Venkatesh Iyer, Patidar put on a batting display, dominating the eighth-wicket stand of 41 before collapsing to 63 off 40 deliveries.
