“Vaibhav doesn’t plan anything, always backs himself”: Jurel hails RR…

Chandigarh [India], May 28 (ANI): Rajasthan Royals thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator clash of IPL 2026 at Mullanpur on Wednesday and took a step further towards their second IPL trophy. The winners of the first edition defeated Pat Cummins-led SRH by 47 runs in a run-fest here at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium.

The 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was at the centre of RR’s win again as he made a blistering 97 off just 29 balls with the help of 12 sixes and five fours, which helped his side post 243/8 in the knockout clash.

Dhruv Jurel, who also played a half-century knock, praised the teenager’s knock and said that the young batter backs himself and has not an iota of doubt in himself. mwafrika.life

“Best thing about Vaibhav is that he doesn’t plan anything, because he practices a lot, and he always backs himself. That’s what he does every time he goes out and plays. So the best thing about him is that he backs himself and he doesn’t have that shadow of doubt that I’m not able to do it," said Jurel in a post-match press conference.

Sooryavanshi went past West Indies icon Chris Gayle for most sixes in an IPL season with 65 sixes. When asked what makes Sooryavanshi special, Jurel said he doesn’t watch the bowler, but the ball.

“When you go to the academy, you are told not to watch the bowler, but the ball. And we, as a 17-year-old kid, we always used to watch the bowler. But he [Sooryavanshi] just watches the ball. That’s all his mantra. He doesn’t give a damn about any bowler. He just wants to play the ball. That’s all," he said.

Jurel has been consistent for RR with the bat and has made 508 runs this season with the help of 46 fours and 24 sixes. His 50-run knock in the do-or-die clash against SRH came in just 21 balls and had three sixes and five fours.

Speaking about his performance this season, Jurel said, “T20 has become the toughest format because you can hit 240 or 250 and that’s not safe either. So I want to become a player who can play at any place, whether it is one down, open, at number three, five, seven, no matter what the situation is. I want to read the match and try to win the match."

Talking about his role in the batting unit, he said, “My job is that whenever the openers are playing and if they’re playing beautifully, just try to build a partnership with them. If we hit from both ends, there’s a chance that the wicket can go. So my job is to steady the ship and build a partnership."

He further added, “Because I don’t want my down middle order to play in the 11th or 12th over. I feel that I should have a partnership in the middle overs and that’s what I’ve been doing, so that in the end, I give a good platform to my down middle order batsmen to add big to the score."

During the chase, SRH sunk to 57/4 in the powerplay itself, despite a brief counter-attack from Ishan Kishan (33 in 11 balls, with three fours and three sixes). Archer (3/58) and Burger (2/26) were central to RR’s success with the ball in the powerplay, skittling out SRH for just 196 in 19.2 overs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy (38 in 20 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and Salil Arora (35 in 20 balls, with two fours and two sixes) put up a fight in the later stages with a 56-run sixth-wicket partnership, but Ravindra Jadeja (2/21) dimmed whatever little hope was left by removing both of them. Sooryavanshi was named as the ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-defining knock.

With this loss, SRH has been eliminated from the tournament, while Rajasthan Royals will battle Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday for a spot in the final against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). (ANI)

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced an innings that felt like a glimpse into cricket's future, smashing 97 off just 29 balls in the IPL Eliminator, leaving Sunrisers Hyderabad with no answers. Though he fell three runs short of a record-breaking century, the 15-year-old's fearless strokeplay, tactical maturity and breathtaking power ensured Mullanpur witnessed an innings that may live forever in IPL folklore.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi dismantled the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling attack as the 15-year-old slammed 97 runs off just 29 balls to single-handedly take Rajasthan Royals into the Qualifier of the IPL 2026.

Sooryavanshi`s knock included an incredible 12 sixes as records tumbled on a special night in Chandigarh. With his 12 sixes, Sooryavanshi surpassed the record of West Indies great Chris Gayle for most sixes in a single IPL season. Gayle hit 59 sixes in IPL 2012; however, that record now belongs to the 15-year-old sensation, who has smashed 61 sixes in the current IPL season.

Cricket world reacts to Sooryavanshi`s brilliance

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi`s incredible innings left the cricketing world in awe. Players, past and present, reacted to the 15-year-old`s historic knock as he smashed SRH bowlers to all parts of the park.

Sachin Tendulkar was the first to heap praise on the teenage sensation. The Indian legend praised Sooryavanshi`s bat swing and hailed his innings as `spectacular`.

Tendulkar wrote: "Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bat swing has been outstanding. What’s even more remarkable is how beautifully he clears his front foot to create room for balls aimed at his legs. This freedom allows him to play the way he does. That innings was nothing short of spectacular."

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bat swing has been outstanding. What’s even more remarkable is how beautifully he clears his front foot to create room for balls aimed at his legs. This freedom allows him to play the way he does.

That innings was nothing short of spectacular!

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) May 27, 2026

Meanwhile, Chris Gayle reacted to Sooryavanshi`s innings as well and congratulated him on breaking his six-hitting record in IPL.

Gayle wrote on X: "What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment, young man! New Six machine."

What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man! New Six machine @IPL pic.twitter.com/ofElAousF7

— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) May 27, 2026

Indian star Yuvraj Singh too posted on social media, calling Sooryavanshi the `Boss Baby`.
Yuvraj Singh tweeted, “Boss baby breaks world bosses record! Unbelievable, this kid is great to watch.”

Boss baby breaks world bosses record! Unbelievable this kid great to watch 🔥 #unreal #VaibhavSooryavanshi #SRHvsRR @IPL

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) May 27, 2026

Former cricket icons Harbhajan Singh, Sanath Jayasuriya and Kevin Pietersen also reacted to Sooryavanshi`s knock as the cricket world was left in awe of the 15-year-old`s talent.

Harbhajan Singh wrote: "The world on one side, this player on one side. The most unique, the most dangerous batsman. Six-hitting machine, our very own Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.”

दुनिया एक तरफ़ यह खिलाड़ी एक तरफ़ । सबसे अलग सबसे ख़तरनाक बल्लेबाज़ । six Hitting machine our own #भारतकालाल ❤️ #VaibhavSuryavanshi pic.twitter.com/pnbGu5ymih

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) May 27, 2026

Andre Russell shared an Instagram story which read: "Congratulations, youngster. Haters will say you`re not 15 years old. Who cares? Even 30-year-old players out here are trying their best to do what you`re doing. Keep going, I`m a big fan. See ball, hit ball."

Kevin Pietersen shared: "Vaibhav told me he wants to score 200 in a T20. I believe him!"

Vaibhav told me he wants to score 200 in a T20.
I believe him!

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) May 27, 2026

Current Indian T20 stars Suryakumar Yadav and Arshdeep Singh reacted to Sooryavanshi`s innings on Instagram.

“Chin up boy what a CLASS innings, you’ve taken everyone’s breath away. Star in the making," the Indian T20 captain posted on Instagram.

Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh just posted a one-word reaction to Sooryavanshi`s innings, calling it `unreal`.

R Praggnanandhaa defeats Magnus Carlsen in a dramatic classical clash

Praggnanandhaa produced one of the biggest results of the tournament by defeating Magnus Carlsen in classical chess. Playing an aggressive Sicilian battle, the Indian youngster handled the complications brilliantly and stayed calm in severe time pressure.

Carlsen sacrificed exchange activity early in the middlegame, but Pragg slowly took control with precise attacking moves. Even with both players running low on time, Pragg converted the advantage confidently and forced Carlsen into resignation after the dangerous passed pawns on the kingside became unstoppable.

The win was another major statement from Pragg against the world number one.

Gukesh Dommaraju holds Alireza Firouzja in classical but loses Armageddon

World Champion Gukesh played a balanced classical game against Alireza Firouzja, with both players choosing a solid Queen’s Gambit structure. Neither side managed to create serious winning chances and the game ended peacefully after 31 moves.

In the Armageddon game, however, Firouzja slowly outplayed Gukesh in a long endgame battle. The French star handled the rook ending better, created connected passed pawns and eventually converted the advantage after nearly 63 moves.

It was another tense and fighting performance from Gukesh, but Firouzja walked away with the extra point.

Wesley So defeats Vincent Keymer in Armageddon after tense classical draw
Vincent Keymer and Wesley So played a long positional classical encounter that eventually ended in repetition after both players entered a balanced rook ending.

The Armageddon game was far sharper. Wesley So handled the middlegame pressure better and launched a kingside attack after Keymer’s aggressive pawn advances weakened his position. So eventually broke through with tactical precision and forced resignation after gaining a decisive attack against the white king.

Divya Deshmukh secures two fighting draws against Bibisara Assaubayeva
Divya Deshmukh continued to impress with another composed performance in Norway Chess Women.
In the classical game, Divya comfortably equalised from the opening and reached a balanced rook ending before the players agreed to a draw.

The Armageddon encounter was another tense positional battle. Both players manoeuvred carefully for more than 50 moves, but neither could find a breakthrough. Divya defended accurately under pressure and secured another valuable result against a strong opponent.

Koneru Humpy loses Armageddon battle to Anna Muzychuk

Koneru Humpy and Anna Muzychuk first played a very solid classical draw where neither player took major risks. The game remained balanced throughout and ended peacefully in an equal position.

The Armageddon clash, however, became far more complicated. Muzychuk launched an aggressive kingside attack after Humpy weakened her structure with pawn advances. As the clock ticked down, the Ukrainian grandmaster built up strong pressure around the king and eventually finished the game with a decisive mating attack.It was a tough result for Humpy after defending well for most of the battle.

Ju Wenjun and Zhu Jiner share points after marathon battles

The all-Chinese clashes between Ju Wenjun and Zhu Jiner produced two long and intense games.
Their classical encounter featured heavy time trouble and a complicated queen ending before the players repeated moves. The Armageddon game then stretched into a grinding endgame where both players pushed hard for victory, but accurate defence from both sides eventually led to another draw.

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