Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals cruised to a comfortable six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru, thanks to a breathtaking knock by teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Chasing 202, the 15-year-old smashed a stunning 78 off just 26 balls, including seven sixes, helping his team finish the chase in just 18 overs. While most teenagers his age are busy with exams, Sooryavanshi lit up the stadium with fearless hitting, reaching his fifty in just 15 balls.
Alongside him, Dhruv Jurel played a steady and classy knock of 81 not out, but the spotlight firmly remained on Sooryavanshi’s explosive batting. The duo stitched together a rapid 108-run partnership, taking the game away from RCB in no time.Sooryavanshi took on experienced bowlers like Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar with ease, hitting boundaries and sixes all around the ground. His fearless approach and clean striking left both the bowlers and the crowd stunned. From whipping yorkers into the stands to dominating even tight deliveries, he showed remarkable confidence and skill.This innings further proved that Sooryavanshi is no ordinary youngster. After an impressive debut season, he has come back even stronger, pushing the limits of T20 batting with an incredible strike rate. He is not just following trends but setting new ones, showing that even a 200 strike rate can be surpassed.Earlier, RCB posted 201/8, thanks to a solid 63 from Rajat Patidar and a late boost from Venkatesh Iyer. However, once Sooryavanshi got going, the target looked far from enough.With such performances, the young batter is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting talents in the IPL, and perhaps even knocking loudly on the doors of the national team.Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 201 for 8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 63; Jofra Archer 2/33, Ravi Bishnoi 2/32, Brijesh Sharma 2/37)Rajasthan Royals: 202 for 4 in 18 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 78, Dhruv Jurel 80 not out; Krunal Pandya 2/30, Josh Hazlewood 2/44)
