TEENAGE batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed 12 sixes in a 29-ball 97 as Rajasthan Royals defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs on Wednesday to stay in the IPL title race.
The 15-year-old, who now holds the Orange Cap with 680 runs this season, led Rajasthan to 243-8 in Chandigarh with an attacking innings against Hyderabad’s bowling attack.
Jofra Archer then struck early with three wickets in his opening three overs as Hyderabad were bowled out for 196 in the eliminator. Rajasthan will now face Gujarat Titans in Friday’s second qualifier. The winner will meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.
Sooryavanshi also went past Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes in a single IPL season. Gayle had hit 59 sixes in 2013, while Sooryavanshi now has 65 this season.
“I think a little, not too much,” Sooryavanshi said. “Try and keep things simple. I try to play with good intent and dominate the bowlers. I want to put pressure on the bowler. My focus (today) was on contributing for the team, my focus now is how to win the trophy.”
Sooryavanshi started with a straight six off Pat Cummins in the opening over before taking apart the Hyderabad captain in his next over with three sixes and a four.
He then hit three more sixes in the following over from Sakib Hussain to bring up his fifty in 16 balls.
The left-hander looked set to break Gayle’s record for the fastest IPL century, which came in 30 balls, when he hit Praful Hinge for three sixes and two fours.
But Hinge dismissed him on 97 after he was caught at third man.
Alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, who played the supporting role, Sooryavanshi added 125 runs for the opening wicket in just 49 balls.
Dhruv Jurel continued the scoring with a 20-ball fifty, although Hyderabad pulled things back in the final five overs, conceding only 36 runs.
Hyderabad’s chase never recovered after Archer removed Abhishek Sharma with a bouncer off the second ball of the innings.
Ishan Kishan looked threatening briefly before Archer dismissed him too and later bowled Travis Head.
Leg-spinner Yash Raj Punja then trapped Heinrich Klaasen leg before wicket as he attempted a reverse sweep.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Salil Arora added some late runs, but Rajasthan completed the win to remain in contention for the title.
