Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 97 off 28 fires RR to 243/8 vs SRH in IPL 2026 Eliminator
Synopsis
A 15-year-old just rewrote the IPL playoff record books. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 97 off 28 — equalling the fastest playoff fifty, breaking Gayle's six-hitting record, and stopping three runs short of the fastest IPL century — turned the Eliminator's powerplay into a spectacle New Chandigarh will not forget. RR's 243/8 is the highest Eliminator total in recent memory.
Key Takeaways
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi , aged 15 , scored 97 off 28 balls in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on 27 May 2026 .
He reached his fifty in 16 balls , equalling the fastest half-century in an IPL playoff (previously Suresh Raina, 2014 ).
Sooryavanshi broke Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes in a single T20 tournament.
Rajasthan Royals posted 243/8 in 20 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh .
Dhruv Jurel hit his sixth fifty of the season off 20 balls ; Praful Hinge took 3/54 for SRH.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, produced one of the most devastating innings in IPL playoff history on 27 May 2026, hammering 97 off 28 balls to propel Rajasthan Royals to 243/8 in 20 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh. The teenage opener's blitz left SRH's bowlers — including captain Pat Cummins — with nowhere to hide during a powerplay that redefined what a knockout innings can look like.
The Sooryavanshi Blitz
Sooryavanshi reached his fifty in just 16 balls, equalling the fastest half-century in an IPL playoff, a mark previously set by Suresh Raina in 2014. During his stay, he also broke Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes in a single T20 tournament. He was just three runs short of what would have been the fastest IPL century when he top-edged an attempted uppercut off Praful Hinge to deep third, departing for 97 off 28 with RR at 125/1 in eight overs.
Cummins tried an unusual defensive field — deep square leg and deep midwicket — and bowled predominantly full and straight to restrict Sooryavanshi's angles. The plan held for three deliveries before a well-placed full ball was dispatched over mid-off for six. By the fourth over, Sooryavanshi had already struck 36 off 10 balls, with RR racing to 63/0. Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain fared no better; Hussain's over alone saw Sooryavanshi clear extra cover, long-off, and backward square to surpass Gayle's six-hitting benchmark.
Jaiswal's Unusual Supporting Act
At the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal played one of the most unusual support roles in T20 cricket, crawling to 19 off 16 balls while his teenage partner monopolised the strike and the scoreboard. Jaiswal eventually fell for a run-a-ball 29 trying to clear long-off, by which point the damage had long been done.
Middle-Order Firepower Keeps RR Moving
Dhruv Jurel continued the assault seamlessly after Sooryavanshi's departure. He slog-swept Shivang Kumar for six, then took on Cummins in the 12th over with a scoop over short fine leg, a pulled six, and a driven boundary — reaching his sixth fifty of the season off just 20 balls before falling attempting another pull. RR had surged to 192/3 in 13.5 overs at that stage.
Wickets fell in clusters thereafter. Riyan Parag (26) was dismissed, and five balls later Dasun Shanaka (5) miscued off Malinga to long-on. Despite being 220/5 after 17 overs, RR still had Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, and Impact Player Shubham Dubey in reserve. Donovan Ferreira and Jadeja combined for 20 runs in 12 balls before Ferreira was run out in the 19th over; Archer fell shortly after when Abhishek Sharma held a fine catch at long-on.
SRH's Late Resistance
Nitish Kumar Reddy was the standout bowler in the death, conceding just five runs in the 19th over through a series of precise wide yorkers. A disciplined final over ultimately restricted RR to 243/8, a total that, given the carnage of the first eight overs, felt almost like a recovery for Sunrisers. Praful Hinge was the pick of the SRH bowlers with 3/54, while Shivang Kumar took 1/19.
Brief Scorecard
Rajasthan Royals 243/8 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 97 off 28, Dhruv Jurel 50; Praful Hinge 3/54, Shivang Kumar 1/19) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH innings to follow.
Point of View
One of the shrewdest T20 tacticians in the game, tried deep men, yorkers, and slower balls in sequence; none worked for more than three consecutive deliveries. The deeper question for SRH is whether a total of 243 — formidable on paper — is enough on a surface where the powerplay alone yielded 63 without loss. The Eliminator's outcome may hinge less on RR's batting depth and more on whether SRH's top order can replicate anything close to that opening burst.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many runs did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi score in the IPL 2026 Eliminator?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 97 runs off 28 balls in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 27 May 2026. He was dismissed three runs short of what would have been the fastest century in IPL history, top-edging to deep third off Praful Hinge.
What records did Sooryavanshi break in the IPL 2026 Eliminator?
Sooryavanshi equalled the fastest half-century in an IPL playoff — 16 balls, matching Suresh Raina's 2014 effort — and broke Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes in a single T20 tournament. He also came within three runs of the fastest IPL century.
What total did Rajasthan Royals post in the IPL 2026 Eliminator?
Rajasthan Royals posted 243/8 in 20 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. Dhruv Jurel contributed a 20-ball fifty alongside Sooryavanshi's opening blitz.
How did Sunrisers Hyderabad try to stop Sooryavanshi?
SRH captain Pat Cummins deployed an unusual defensive field — deep square leg and deep midwicket — and bowled predominantly full and straight to limit Sooryavanshi's angles. The plan held briefly but was ultimately ineffective, with RR reaching 63/0 inside four overs.
Who were the top performers for SRH's bowling attack in the Eliminator?
Praful Hinge was SRH's most successful bowler, taking 3/54. Shivang Kumar was the most economical, returning 1/19. Nitish Kumar Reddy also impressed in the death, conceding just five runs in the 19th over through precise wide yorkers.
