Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi tore the Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowling to shreds on his way to equalling his own record for the fastest fifty of this season’s IPL, powering unbeaten Rajasthan Royals to a fourth successive victory, by six wickets, on Friday.
Sooryavanshi raced to his half-century from just 15 deliveries, hammering eight fours and seven towering sixes during his 26-ball 78.
The teen prodigy found an able ally in Dhruv Jurel at the ACA Stadium, helping Rajasthan make light work of Bengaluru’s competitive 201-8, a huge recovery orchestrated by skipper Rajat Patidar after the defending champions slumped to 125-7 after 14 overs.
After dispatching the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar for two fours in the first over of the chase, the left-handed Sooryavanshi lay into Josh Hazlewood, the Australian fast bowler playing his first game of the season.
Sooryavanshi took three fours and a six off Hazlewood’s second over, making sure Rajasthan didn’t suffer from the loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal, his opening partner, with just 21 on the board.
Jurel, who finished unbeaten on 81, matched Sooryavanshi stroke for stroke during a second-wicket stand of 108, which came off just 37 deliveries.
By the time he was caught at long-on off left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya, Sooryavanshi had grabbed the Orange Cap for becoming the season’s leading run-scorer.
Pandya dismissed Shimron Hetmyer first ball and Hazlewood had Rajasthan skipper Riyan Parag caught at long-on to trigger artificial excitement, but Jurel and seasoned left-hander Ravindra Jadeja weathered the loss of three wickets for five runs in 10 deliveries with a measured fifth-wicket stand of 68.
Earlier in the night, when play began 70 minutes late due to persistent showers, Bengaluru were rocked by the first-ball dismissal of Phil Salt, caught behind off a snorter from England teammate Jofra Archer.
Virat Kohli played several handsome strokes while making 32 off 16 until he was bowled by a googly from Ravi Bishnoi.
Bishnoi, Archer and Brijesh Sharma took two wickets apiece to peg Bengaluru back when Patidar stepped up.
The skipper was 27 off 26 deliveries when Romario Shepherd was seventh batter dismissed.
In the company of impact substitute Venkatesh Iyer, he put on an exhibition of wonderful stroke-making. Patidar dominated the eighth-wicket stand of 41 before falling for 63 off 40 deliveries.
Source: Khaleej Times