3 min readApr 26, 2026 12:18 AM IST
Synopsis: Sooryavanshi blazed 103 off 37 balls but Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma put on 139 to power SRH to the fourth highest chase in IPL history.
Half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma helped SRH chase down 229 and ensure Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s century went in vain.
Sooryavanshi tees off
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had scored 54 runs across his previous three innings. For a teenager who had been one of the stories of this IPL, that was a slump. On Saturday in Jaipur, he answered it with 103 off 37 balls.
The assault was immediate. Praful Hinge, who had taken three RR wickets in a single over earlier this season, found himself on the receiving end — four sixes in the opening over. Much of the damage came on the leg side, where 63 percent of Sooryavanshi’s runs were scored. He struck 12 sixes in all, eight of them between long-on and square leg.
He was dropped on 32 — Aniket Verma putting down a chance off Eshan Malinga in the fifth over — and SRH paid heavily for it. Sooryavanshi reached fifty in 15 balls. His hundred came off 36, with a six off Sakib Hussain in the 14th over — the third-fastest in IPL history. He fell next ball for 103.
It was the kind of innings that reminds you why Sooryavanshi has been talked about since before he was old enough to vote.
Ishan-Abhishek assault
With Travis Head falling in the first over to Jofra Archer, SRH needed someone to absorb the early pressure without killing the chase. Ishan Kishan did the opposite — three fours and a six in his first seven balls, putting SRH immediately on the front foot.
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Kishan’s 74 off 31 balls was built on leg-side hitting. Seven of his eleven fours came on the on-side, two of his three sixes over long-on and mid-wicket. He gave Abhishek Sharma time to settle at the other end before playing his natural game.
Abhishek’s knock was the mirror image — eight of his eleven boundaries came between third man and cover, forcing RR to constantly reset their lines. Together the two added 139 in 55 balls for the second wicket and the chase of 229 was effectively settled.
By the time both were dismissed, SRH needed only formalities. They completed them comfortably — the fourth highest successful chase in IPL history, five wickets in hand.
Cummins impressive return
On a day when bowlers struggled across both venues, Pat Cummins offered a reminder that high-quality fast bowling still has a place in T20 cricket. Making his first competitive appearance since December 2025, the SRH captain finished with 1/27 from four overs — mixing pace and length smartly and keeping RR’s hitters in check for long periods. He capped his spell with a yorker that bowled Riyan Parag in the 17th over.
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Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals 228/6 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 103, Dhruv Jurel 51; Pat Cummins 1/27) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad 229/5 in 18.3 overs (Ishan Kishan 74, Abhishek Sharma 57; Jofra Archer 2/34) by five wickets.
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