Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a mockery of Royal Challengers Bengaluru‘s bowling line-up, continuing to dent the reputations of some of the biggest names in world cricket; this time, the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were at the receiving end. The 15-year-old once again showed he doesn’t play the bowler or their reputation, simply backing his instincts and smashing anything in his zone, which, right now, seems like everything given his form this IPL season. Vaibhav smashed a 15-ball half-century and went on to score 78 off just 25 balls, underlining his dominance. The youngster has already silenced the second-season syndrome chatter and now looks set to own the big stage with every outing.
For a moment, it seemed he was on a mission to break Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest IPL century – 30 balls. The 15-year-old raced to 78 off just 24 deliveries, taking apart everything in his path, but Krunal Pandya ensured the long-standing mark stayed intact. On the 25th ball he faced, perhaps the only one he didn’t quite middle, Vaibhav miscued it and was caught by Virat Kohli at long-on, bringing an explosive innings to a sudden halt.
He tore into Josh Hazlewood straight away, plundering 18 runs off the first four balls he faced from him. It began with a boundary, quickly turned into three in a row, and then a towering six to cap off a brutal assault. Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t fare any better, as he too was taken apart, conceding back-to-back sixes while Vaibhav raced to a half-century off just 15 balls, matching the mark he had set earlier against CSK this season.
Fastest fifty by an Indian in IPL (by balls)
13 – Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) vs KKR, Kolkata, 2023
14 – KL Rahul (PBKS) vs DC, Mohali, 2018
15 – Yusuf Pathan (KKR) vs SRH, Kolkata, 2014
15 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) vs CSK, Guwahati, 2026
15 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) vs RCB, Guwahati, 2026*
The onslaught left RCB with no answers as the youngster dictated terms with ease. With such a blistering knock at the top, the 202-run chase quickly lost its edge, turning into a comfortable pursuit for the Royals, who had already stormed to 129/2 in just 8.1 overs by the time the young opener finally departed.
Also Read – Rajat Patidar the only sane batsman in mad chaos; will RCB pay the price?
Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru found themselves in deep trouble before Rajat Patidar produced a composed yet attacking effort to steady the innings. The skipper struck 63 off 40 balls, mixing four sixes with four boundaries, and played a key role in lifting RCB to 201/8 after they had slipped to 94/6. While wickets kept falling at the other end, including Virat Kohli, who made a brisk 32 off 16, Patidar focused on rotating the strike and picking his moments to attack, ensuring the innings didn’t stall.
The late charge came from Impact Sub Venkatesh Iyer, who added crucial runs in the death overs. His 29 off just 15 balls, highlighted by a 21-run final over off Sandeep Sharma, gave RCB the finishing push they needed to cross the 200-run mark.
