Kamal Ghorui
The spotlight was firmly on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi heading into Rajasthan Royals’ clash against Lucknow Super Giants, with Sooryavanshi coming into the game in red-hot form. But on this occasion, the teenage sensation endured a rare failure.Sooryavanshi managed just 8 runs off 11 balls, unable to find the rhythm that has defined his tournament so far. It was part of a dramatic early collapse for Rajasthan Royals, whose top order, responsible for the bulk of their runs this season, was dismantled inside the powerplay.
The damage began in the third over when Mohammed Shami struck twice in consecutive deliveries, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel to leave Rajasthan reeling early.Sooryavanshi’s dismissal followed soon after, and it was one he would look back on with regret. On the final ball of the fourth over, Mohsin Khan bowled a length delivery outside off. Attempting to go big, Sooryavanshi lost his shape and mistimed the shot, toe-ending it towards cover. Digvesh Singh Rathi then produced a superb running catch, tracking back as the ball swirled in the air before completing it with ease.With the top three back in the dugout early, the responsibility now shifts to captain Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer, both of whom have struggled for consistency this season and are yet to make a significant impact.Earlier in the evening at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to field first in Match 32 of IPL 2026. Lucknow made two changes, bringing in Digvesh Rathi and Mayank Yadav, with M Siddharth and Avesh Khan making way.Both teams entered the contest under pressure. Lucknow were on a three-match losing streak and are yet to register a home win this season, while Rajasthan came in after back-to-back defeats and are still searching for their first away victory.On a night when expectations were high around Sooryavanshi, it turned into a rare off day, one that has left Rajasthan’s middle order with a big task ahead.
