Guwahati – A fortnight into his GCSE year and only three days past turning 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi walked back into the IPL as if he had never left. The left-hander belted a half-century from just 15 deliveries, setting up Rajasthan Royals’ eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings with 47 balls unused. For context, CSK had earlier been bundled out for 127 on a surface that looked anything but flat.
Key moments, then the detail
• CSK 127 all out; Royals 128 for 2
• Sooryavanshi 52* off 16 in the powerplay, finishing on 56 from 19
• Royals two points, net-run-rate boost, and a reminder that the teenager remains ahead of schedule
A sticky start, then liftoff
Royals decided to attack straightaway. “The plan was to execute well in the powerplay. At the start, the wicket looked a bit sticky. But later when the ball got older, it started coming to the bat well,” Sooryavanshi explained. His intent was clear from ball one – helped, admittedly, by a difficult chance spilled at deep mid-wicket by CSK debutant Kartik Sharma. By the sixth over Royals were 70 without loss, Sooryavanshi already 52.
Small target, simple maths
“I do think about defence but today our plan was to execute in powerplay. Because in small targets, the game is decided in the powerplay. If the bowling team had bowled well in the powerplay, the game could have gone to their side. But we all went all-out and our powerplay went well. So that was the plan.”
Backing from the dressing-room
“They just told me that we are backing you and you just stick to your natural game. And they treated me really well,” the youngster said of the Royals hierarchy. “And the practice went well. I was dependent on preparation. That went well. We came here a little early. So the practice went well. And they told me to just play my game. Read the situation and play. Rest, just back your game.”
Captain’s guarantee
Skipper Riyan Parag has tried to shield the prodigy from the noise outside. “What I tell him is that you’re going to play 14 games regardless of what goes on in the game. It shouldn’t bother you. What goes around in the media shouldn’t bother you,” Parag noted, adding that he ensures Sooryavanshi gets “as much batting as he wants”.
Parag and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel enjoyed the show from the dug-out. “Me and Dhruv (Jurel), we were just sitting there till the fourth over we were just like, ‘woah, what is happening? How is he doing this? But then, I’m really happy to have him in my team.”
Numbers that matter
• Second-fastest IPL hundred (35 balls) last season
• Strike-rate in IPL now 210 across eight innings
• Still 15 – no age manipulation here, the birth certificate has done the rounds already
Analysis without the hyperbole
Sooryavanshi’s hand-eye coordination is obvious, but what impressed on Monday was his reading of conditions. The pitch gripped early; he waited half an over, then trusted the true bounce once the lacquer eased. Five of his first seven scoring shots cleared the rope, yet he rarely swung across the line. Technical coaches will appreciate how little his head moved.
Where next?
Talk of an India call-up will bubble – it always does – though selectors have preferred to let teenagers finish school before national duty. A more realistic step is the emerging-player camp later this year. For now, Royals simply have a points tally and a net run rate that already looks healthy.
Chennai’s viewpoint
From a CSK perspective the problems were familiar: an ageing batting core and too few hitters adjusting to a two-paced surface. Their 127 never looked competitive once the ball softened, but early wickets would have asked different questions. Instead a single miss – Kartik’s tough chance – spiralled into a powerplay they will want to forget.
Looking ahead
Royals travel to Jaipur next, CSK head back to Chennai. Both sides have quick turnarounds; neither dug-out will be short of talking points, though only one is smiling this evening.
