‘He doesn’t break’: Riyan Parag praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 96 runs despite RR defeat

Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and captain Riyan Parag react after the team’s defeat against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League 2026 Qualifier 2 match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh on Friday. (NOT a photo) Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag hailed teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the team’s IPL 2026 campaign ended with a seven-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. Despite the defeat, Sooryavanshi once again impressed everyone with a brilliant 96 off just 47 balls in Mullanpur on Friday.The 15-year-old opener continued his fearless run in the tournament and dismantled Gujarat’s experienced bowling attack with a stunning stroke play. Rajasthan lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel early but Sooryavanshi steadied the innings while maintaining an aggressive approach.Speaking after the match, Parag could not hide his admiration for the youngster’s batting maturity.“I can’t put it into words, there’s one way to toil and score a lot of runs. But he’s not hurting, you could see his innings today – he’s counting and playing his shots. I can’t say how, but hopefully he’ll do well in his career, do well for Rajasthan Royals and win us our second title,” he said.Rajasthan Royals posted a strong total of 214/6, further boosted by Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 45 and Donovan Ferreira’s explosive 38 not out in just 11 balls. Ferreira smashed Rashid Khan for four sixes in the final over to take the score past 200.However, Gujarat Titans made the chase look comfortable thanks to a brilliant opening partnership between Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. The pair added 167 runs in just 77 balls and completely dominated Rajasthan’s bowling attack.Gill led from the front with a classy 104 off 53 balls, mixing elegant timing with an aggressive strokeplay. Sudharsan contributed a brisk 58 before suffering another bizarre dismissal with a hit.The win sent Gujarat Titans into their third IPL final since entering the tournament in 2022. They will now face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Even after the defeat, however, much of the focus remained on Sooryavanshi, whose remarkable performances have made him one of the breakout stars of IPL 2026.