Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed 93 off 38 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants on May 19. The knock came in a must-win match at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Justin Langer praised the teenager's fearless batting.
Sooryavanshi started slowly with 11 runs off his first 12 balls. He then accelerated sharply and took charge of the chase alongside stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal. His innings included powerful sixes over extra cover and a ramp shot that left bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Anrich Nortje searching for answers.
The 38-ball 93 helped Rajasthan Royals stay in contention for the IPL playoffs. Sooryavanshi has now claimed the orange cap as the tournament's leading run-scorer. Observers compared his composure and shot-making to a young Sachin Tendulkar facing fast bowlers in Australia more than three decades ago.
Lucknow Super Giants coach Justin Langer was impressed by the display. “I have seen some amazing players in 35 years of cricket,” Langer said. “To see a young man bat like that, not just tonight but throughout the series, is breathtaking.” He added that the bowlers were left wondering what was going on and noted the teenager's high-risk style had already delivered consistent runs.
