RR vs SRH Qualifiers 2: Vaibhav Suryavanshi shines as Rajasthan beats Hyderabad in Indian Premier League knockout match. (Photo/AP)
Teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi took to social media and posted a three-word message on his Instagram account following his heroic Eliminator match win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.The left-hander put up a brilliant show with six knocks and scored 97 runs off just 29 deliveries. However, he narrowly fell short of Chris Gayle’s long-standing IPL record for the fastest century in the league – which still stands at 30 deliveries.
After the match, the Rajasthan Royals pacer posted pictures from his match win on his Instagram account with the caption, “Hungry for more”.Sooryavanshi smashed five boundaries and 12 sixes during his stunning innings at a strike rate of 334.48.
With the help of his innings, RR posted a massive score of 243 for 8 before ralliing Hyderabad for 196 runs to secure a 47-run win, putting them in the 2 qualifiers.
Royals will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 for a place in the final against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Sooryavanshi’s stormy hit has elicited praise and awe in equal measure from every corner.“What an exceptional player Vaibhav. Great entertaining young man! IPL has a new six machine,” former RCB star Chris Gayle posted on X.
Incidentally, this teenager broke Gayle’s old record of over six in a single season during his brutal attack on SRH yesterday.
Sooryavanshi now has 65 sixes surpassing the tally of 59 that Gayle had maintained for over a decade.AB de Villiers praised Sooryavanshi’s maturity and calmness, telling Jiostar in the post-match show: “What stood out most about Vaibhav’s innings was his composure and clarity under pressure when he was just 15. Pat Cummins and SRH kept trying different tactics, but he remained completely locked in his own bubble throughout the innings. That level of game awareness in a knockout match is remarkable for someone so young.”
“With 680 points, scoring 242.86, the current Orange Cap holder will be hoping to take his team to the final for the first time since 2022, with another impressive strike in the upcoming Qualifier 2 match against GT.