Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals (RR) ended their three-match losing streak, brilliantly guided once again by sensational teenage star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who produced a breathtaking and electrifying knock of 93 to power RR to a comfortable seven-wicket victory and keep their playoff hopes alive in a crucial high-scoring clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 64th match of the Indian Premier League on 19 May at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.
In the absence of Riyan Parag due to a hamstring injury, Yashasvi Jaiswal took over the captaincy responsibilities for RR. After winning the toss, RR elected to bowl first. Inform batters Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis put the RR bowlers under immense pressure with their attacking stroke play, posting a massive 83 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket. They added a huge 109-run opening partnership.
Inglis brought up his half-century in just 23 deliveries and continued his assault, scoring a blistering 60 off 29 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes before being bowled by Isha Pujaran,
who provided the breakthrough for RR. Meanwhile, Marsh produced another sensational innings, smashing an astonishing 96 off 57 balls with 11 fours and 5 sixes. Rishabh Pant contributed a rapid 35 off 23 balls, while Nicholas Pooran added 16 off 11 deliveries. Marsh was finally dismissed in a run-out on the second-last ball by Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Jofra Archer dismissed Ayush Badoni on the very last ball. RR bowlers looked expensive throughout the innings as LSG finished strongly on 220/5 in their 20 overs.
Chasing a massive 221, Rajasthan Royals (RR) needed a strong start, and the young opening duo provided exactly that, delivering a crucial and rapid 71-run partnership inside the powerplay. Yashasvi Jaiswal played impressively, scoring 43 off 23 balls before being dismissed by Akash Singh.
But the match reached another level as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi completely shifted the momentum towards Rajasthan Royals (RR) with an absolutely sensational batting display, repeatedly launching the ball into the stands. He continued his breathtaking assault single-handedly with an electrifying 93 off just 38 balls, smashing 7 fours and 10 towering sixes at an astonishing strike rate of 244.74, putting the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowlers under tremendous pressure. The young sensation also achieved historic milestones. He became the youngest player ever to score 500 runs in an IPL season, surpassing Rishabh Pant, who had achieved the feat as a 20-year-old for Delhi in 2018. Vaibhav now has 574 runs in IPL 2026 at a stunning strike rate of 236.3 — the highest ever for a batter in an IPL season with 500-plus runs. That remarkable number places him comfortably above some of the most explosive campaigns in IPL history, including Andre Russell’s 204.8 in 2019 and Abhishek Sharma’s 202.0 this season. Vaibhav scored 25 runs off 16 balls in the powerplay during RR’s chase and also went past Travis Head to become the batter with the second-most powerplay runs in a single IPL season. He built a massive 100-plus partnership with Dhruv Jurel, and his innings completely turned the match in RR’s favour before he narrowly missed out on a century after being dismissed by Mohsin Khan. Although he was dismissed, RR remained in a very comfortable position, and the team completed the chase smoothly without any major pressure. Dhruv Jurel anchored the innings brilliantly with an unbeaten 53 off 38 balls, while Donovan Ferreira provided the finishing fireworks with an unbeaten 16 off 10 balls. Ferreira sealed the chase with a six as RR finished on 225/3 in 19.1 overs.
With this victory, Rajasthan Royals kept themselves alive in the playoff race in this must-win encounter, and just one more victory will further strengthen their chances of qualifying for the playoffs.
