Fastest hundred past, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi displays IPL glory for RR

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi missed the fastest hundred in IPL history by the slimmest of margins, but the Rajasthan Royals teenager made it clear that personal milestones are not his priority at the moment. After producing a breathtaking 97 off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator on Wednesday, the 15-year-old said his focus remains firmly on helping Rajasthan Royals win their second IPL title.

“(He was aware of the fact that he could have broken the record for the fastest IPL century) No, I came to know that only after I got out. But I was focused on trying to contribute to the team. I will get more hundreds but now I am focused on winning the trophy for the team,” Vaibhav Sooryavanshi told broadcasters after Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisullan Hyderabad.

The youngest IPL centurion equaled Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest century in the one-hit tournament before being caught at third man off Praful Hinge in the eighth over. Despite falling short of the landmark, Sooryavanshi left the Sunrisers attack unanswered in a stunning onslaught that included 12 sixes.

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Pat Cummins rotated his bowlers, kept changing fields and repeatedly argued with his team-mates, but the teenager continued to attack with complete freedom on a batting pitch.

“(What does he envision when he’s shadowing the batsmen on the field before the game starts?) I’m just thinking about who the bowlers are going to bowl to me, where I can hit them. I know my intent is good, the bowler will be under pressure. So I try to play my game and continue to dominate,” Vaibhav said.

The left-hander reached his fifty in just 16 deliveries, with eight of those balls disappearing over the ropes. He also surpassed Chris Gayle’s record for sixes in a single IPL season, reaching 65 during the innings.

Anything full was dropped straight back over the bowler’s head, short balls were sliced over third man and deliveries on the pads were effortlessly bowled into the stands. The ease with which Sooryavanshi handled the experienced bowling attack underlined again why he was the breakout star of the season.

“(Will he celebrate?) We won. We’d go into the next game with the same positive intent. (Does he react to his performance or just move on to the next one?) I think a little bit, not a lot. I try to play the game and not think. If there’s something to work on, I’ll do it,” he said.

The teenager also said he prefers simple preparation rather than worrying too much about opposition strategies.

“(Does he think about what plans the opposition is coming with on that day?) I work on anything if I feel there is a problem. I don’t think about the plans of the opposition. It’s their job. I try to play my game,” Vaibhav added.

Rajasthan Royals posted 243 for eight despite slowing down in the last five overs. Dhruv Jurel added a quickfire 50 off 21 balls while Yashasvi Jaiswal played second fiddle during the opening partnership with a run-a-ball 29.

Sunrisers Hyderabad were expected to attack the target with their explosive batting line-up but Jofra Archer effectively ended the match in the powerplay. The England fast bowler removed Abhishek Sharma with a sharp short ball before dismissing Ishan Kishan and Travis Head as Sunrisers slumped to 57 for four in five overs.

Sunrisers eventually won for 196 in 19.2 overs, sending Rajasthan Royals into Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans on Friday.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

28 May 2026 0:34 IST