15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scores 15-ball fifty for Rajasthan Royals

Jaipur, Monday: Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi celebrated his 15th birthday in spectacular fashion, blasting a 15-ball half-century to set up an eight-wicket demolition of Chennai Super Kings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

The teenager, who had already announced himself on the IPL stage last season with a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans, needed only 15 deliveries to reach fifty on Monday night. His innings featured five towering sixes and four fours before he departed for 52 off 17 balls, having added 75 for the first wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The pair’s powerplay assault carried Rajasthan to 74 without loss inside the first six overs, effectively ending the contest early in the chase of 128. Royals sealed victory in 12.1 overs, climbing further up the table after their bowlers had earlier restricted Chennai to 127 in 19.4 overs.

Sooryavanshi said the plan was simple: “I think of defending, but the plan was to decide the game in the powerplay as we’d restricted them to a low score. If the bowlers had bowled well in the powerplay then the game might have turned their way, but we went all out in the powerplay.”

The Under-19 World Cup winner credited the Royals coaching staff for encouraging his aggressive mindset. “They told me to read the situation well and back my game,” he added.

South African quick Nandre Burger set the tone with 2-26, while Jofra Archer and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with two wickets apiece as Chennai slumped to 41-4 by the end of the powerplay. Burger’s new-ball burst earned him the player-of-the-match award.

Rajasthan now travel to Ahmedabad to face Gujarat Titans on Saturday, while Chennai return home to meet Punjab Kings on Friday.