Kamal Ghorui
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered a fiery response to Praful Hinge, turning their earlier clash on its head in dramatic fashion during the IPL 2026 encounter between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The last time the two faced off, Hinge had completely dominated the contest. He dismissed Sooryavanshi for a golden duck and went on to claim four wickets, earning the Player of the Match award. Speaking after that game, Hinge had made his intent clear. “The best one was the first wicket of Sooryavanshi, because he was in form. I had already told a couple of people that I would get him out on the very first ball, either with a bouncer or in some way. I just wanted his wicket on the first ball,” he had said. This time, however, the narrative flipped instantly. Opening the innings, Sooryavanshi took on Hinge in the very first over and unleashed a brutal counterattack. He tore into the pacer, smashing four consecutive sixes to completely seize momentum. The over finished at 25 without loss, with Sooryavanshi racing to 24 off just five balls. The assault was relentless. Hinge’s variations and lengths made little difference as Sooryavanshi held his shape and cleared the ropes repeatedly. Whether it was a good length delivery or a shorter ball, the result remained the same, with the ball sailing over the boundary. The sequence of sixes not only erased memories of the previous dismissal but also set the tone for the innings. Sooryavanshi carried that momentum forward and went on to bring up his half-century in just 15 balls during the powerplay. It was yet another rapid fifty this season, having already produced similar efforts earlier in the tournament against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings. This was the third time Vaibhav brought up a 15-ball fifty this season. Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins had won the toss and opted to field. Cummins was returning to action for the first time since December, having recovered from a back issue that had delayed his participation in the IPL. He replaced Dilshan Madushanka in the playing XI, while Rajasthan Royals brought in Praful Hinge in place of Harsh Dubey.
