Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals (202/4 in 18 overs) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (201/8 in 20 overs) by six wickets in Guwahati. Scorecard | Highlighting
It is the world of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi; the Indian Premier League only operates in it. The 15-year-old prodigy from Samastipur is quickly making a habit of dismantling opposition attacks, mercilessly targeting their premiership bowlers and making a mockery of both numbers and norms.
The Rajasthan Royals superstar smashed 78 off just 26 balls in Guwahati on Friday – bringing up his half-century in a blistering 15 deliveries – to ease a 202-run chase. On a surface that remained sporting even after the pre-match rain, every other batsman appeared a mere mortal; Vaibhav operated on a completely different plane.
To be fair, Dhruv Jurel did a lot more than play a supporting role. Rajasthan’s industrious wicketkeeper went into fifth gear himself and hit an unbeaten 81 off 43 balls. It was Jurel who stood firm as he navigated a minor middle-order stumble and ensured that Royals crossed the line in the 18th over. Still, Sooryavanshi remained the headliner of the night, reigniting the inevitable discourse: How good can this boy be? How gifted is he? Is it time to transfer him to the national side quickly?
Earlier, RCB recovered from a shaky 94 for 6 to post 201 for 8, thanks to a brilliant save from Rajat Patidar and a late cameo from Venkatesh Iyer. Iyer was deployed as an Impact Player in the very first innings – a move that left RCB short of a bowler but was perhaps necessary to avoid a sub-par total. In hindsight, even 201 seemed insufficient as Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal went all out in the powerplay.
Vaibhav attacked right from the first delivery and refused to let up, scoring his second 15-ball fifty in just four matches this season. The variety of the attack was fascinating: bowl short and he’d pull you down; bowl full and he carried you; He tried a slower ball and he just waited and put it deep into the stands.
While the Barsapara Stadium was flooded with Virat Kohli shirts – Guwahati was the Royals’ secondary home – the audience’s devotion changed the moment Vaibhav started his work. When he unleashed these jaw-dropping daring moves, the audience, like the rest of the cricketing world, were completely enthralled.
Just days ago, he dispatched Jasprit Bumrah for two sixes in their first encounter. On Friday, he repeated his disdain for reputations by plundering 18 runs off one Josh Hazlewood to power Rajasthan to a record 97 overs.
It is one thing to unseat Bumrah in a duel reminiscent of Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary attack on Abdul Qadir in Peshawar, an act of pure, high-octane audacity. Yet it’s quite another to repeat the trick against Josh Hazlewood, a master of the power play who typically stifles the world’s best with his relentless Test length and metronomic discipline.
Vaibhav has proven that he can take apart the best, and not just through brute force. When Bhuvneshwar Kumar tested him with the moving ball, the youngster showed remarkable composure. Even against Hazlewood, whose position he refused to respect, the attack was calculated, clinical and quite brilliant.
Rajasthan Royals went four for four to sit pretty at the top of the IPL 2026 points table, while RCB’s bright start to their title defense suffered what they hope is only a minor blip.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
11 Apr 2026 0:28 IST
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