Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals (ANI Photo) The focus was firmly on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi heading into Rajasthan Royals’ clash against Lucknow Super Giants, with Sooryavanshi entering the game in red-hot form. But on this occasion, the teenage sensation suffered a rare setback.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 most of their runs this season, was dismantled during the power-play.
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IPL 2026: RR assistant coach Vikram Rathour speaks after loss to KKR The damage started in the third over when Mohammed Shami struck twice in consecutive deliveries, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel and leaving Rajasthan reeling early.Sooryavanshi’s dismissal followed soon after and was one he looked back on with regret. On the last ball of the fourth over, Mohsin Khan played offside with a long delivery. Sooryavanshi lost his shape while attempting a big hit, mistimed the shot and tipped it towards cover. Digvesh Singh Rathi then took a brilliant running catch and watched the ball swirl in the air before finishing it off with ease.With the front three soon back in the dugout, the onus now shifts to captain Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer, who have both struggled for consistency this season and are yet to make a big impact.Earlier in the evening at Lucknow’s Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Ekana Cricket Stadium, Ekana Ekana won the toss and opted to field first in Match 32 of IPL 2026. Lucknow made two changes, bringing in Digvesh Rathi and Mayank Adavdhhan and M.Both teams entered the match under pressure. Lucknow have been on a three-match losing streak and are yet to register a home win this season, while Rajasthan are coming off back-to-back defeats and are still looking for their first away win.On a night when expectations were high around Sooryavanshi, it turned into a rare day off, leaving Rajasthan’s middle order facing a big task.
