A sensational knock from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lit up the TATA IPL 2026 Eliminator as Rajasthan Royals crushed Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs at Mullanpur to storm into Qualifier 2.
In what is already being hailed as one of the greatest innings in IPL history, the teenage sensation smashed a breathtaking 97 off just 29 balls, dismantling bowling attacks, rewriting record books and guiding Rajasthan Royals into a high-stakes clash against Gujarat Titans for a place in the final.
Fittingly, it was Sooryavanshi himself who completed the victory by taking the final catch as SRH’s chase collapsed well short of RR’s mammoth total of 243.
Sooryavanshi Produces Historic Knock
After SRH captain Pat Cummins opted to bowl first, Rajasthan Royals launched a brutal assault from the very beginning. Sooryavanshi transformed the Eliminator into his personal showcase, hammering bowlers to every corner of the ground.
The youngster blasted 97 at a staggering strike rate of 334.48, smashing five boundaries and an unbelievable 12 sixes. Eight of those maximums came during the powerplay — the highest by any batter in that phase in IPL history.
His half-century came in just 16 deliveries, equalling the record set by Suresh Raina for the fastest fifty in IPL playoffs.
The innings also helped him surpass Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the most sixes in a T20 tournament. Gayle had smashed 59 sixes during IPL 2012, but Sooryavanshi crossed the mark with his 65th six of the season in only 266 balls.
SRH bowlers struggled helplessly as yorkers missed execution, slower deliveries disappeared into the stands and length balls were dispatched repeatedly. The teenager had earlier grabbed headlines this season for smashing the fastest IPL century by an Indian, but this innings on the knockout stage elevated his reputation even further.
He eventually fell agonisingly short of a century after miscuing an attempted shot towards deep third man, but by then the contest was already slipping away from Hyderabad.
Jurel Adds Late Firepower
Dhruv Jurel ensured Rajasthan maintained relentless momentum after Sooryavanshi’s dismissal. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed a rapid half-century off just 21 balls, helping RR post a massive 243.
Although SRH managed to pull things back slightly during the death overs by conceding only 29 runs in the final four overs, the target remained intimidating in a knockout clash.
Archer Strikes Early As SRH Collapse
Chasing 244, Sunrisers Hyderabad had no option except attacking aggressively from the outset. However, Jofra Archer delivered the perfect start for Rajasthan by removing SRH’s dangerous top order, including Abhishek Sharma for a duck in the opening over.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Impact Player Salil Arora briefly revived hopes with a quickfire 50-run partnership off only 19 deliveries. At the halfway mark, SRH still required 112 runs from 60 balls.
Heinrich Klaasen produced a few stunning strokes during the chase, including a remarkable inside-out six over extra cover despite the ball angling into leg stump.
But Rajasthan regained control through disciplined spin bowling. Jadeja removed Nitish Kumar Reddy for a dangerous 38 off 20 balls after forcing him to hole out to deep midwicket.
From there, wickets fell rapidly. Salil Arora departed for 35, while Sushant Mishra dismissed Cummins as SRH’s innings unravelled under mounting pressure.
Rajasthan Royals Eye IPL Final
For Sunrisers Hyderabad, a campaign built around explosive batting ended in disappointment. Despite crossing the 200-run mark nine times this season, SRH were comprehensively outplayed when it mattered most.
For Rajasthan Royals, however, the timing of their peak form could not be better. With Sooryavanshi delivering one of the most destructive innings ever witnessed in the IPL and the supporting cast stepping up brilliantly, RR now head into Qualifier 2 carrying enormous momentum and genuine title ambitions.
