Bumrah, who? Hazlewood, who? Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to smash elite pacers
After smashing Jasprit Bumrah all around the park, RR's teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took apart RCB's Josh Hazlewood for 19 runs in an over and raced to a blistering 78 off just 26 deliveries, including seven sixes.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is making a habit of taking on the best in the business. After taking apart Jasprit Bumrah earlier in the tournament, the Rajasthan Royals teenager tore into Josh Hazlewood, smashing 19 runs in an over and racing to a 15-ball fifty in the chase of 202 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. | RR vs RCB Scorecard |
The 15-year-old opener got going early with two boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, setting the tone for what followed. Yashasvi Jaiswal played his part with two sixes off Hazlewood before falling for 13, but the dismissal did little to slow things down. Sooryavanshi kept the pressure on, striking two fours and a six off Abhinandan, and then taking Hazlewood apart in a brutal over that read 4, 4, 4, 6.
Also Read: HD Throwback: Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Bumrah felt like Sachin vs Qadir
Hazlewood began with his usual hard length and a tight line when he bowled to the teenage sensation for the first time. However, Vaibhav cut him off the back foot, sending the ball racing past the point fielder. The second boundary was lofted over mid-on, as Vaibhav used the field to perfection. The third delivery was full, but Vaibhav responded with a feisty cover drive, piercing the gap on the off side.
Hazlewood then tried to outfox the left-hander with a slower bouncer. However, Vaibhav waited on the back foot, read the ploy, and pulled it into the stands, leaving everyone on the field – including Hazlewood – in awe. "(On facing Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood) Back of the mind, it is there (on who is bowling). I try to play the ball and not the bowler, and play my game," Vaibhav said after helping RR beat RCB.
The fifty put him among the fastest by an Indian in IPL history. Only Jaiswal and KL Rahul have got there quicker, while Yusuf Pathan also had a 15-ball fifty. Sooryavanshi has now reached the mark in 15 balls twice this season, against CSK earlier and now against RCB.
He brought up the milestone with back-to-back sixes off Bhuvneshwar, the first a clean hit over long-on and the second flying over deep backward square despite coming off the top edge, with Phil Salt unable to cut it off.
Dhruv Jurel added to the surge with a 24-run sixth over as Rajasthan Royals powered to 97/1 at the end of the powerplay. By the time the strategic timeout was taken, RCB had conceded 97 in six overs and the equation had eased significantly, with the required rate dropping to 7.5.
Sooryavanshi kept control of the chase even as RCB tried to respond with fuller, straighter lines. He dug out a near-yorker from Bhuvneshwar and drove it straight back for four, before finishing the over with a lofted boundary over cover-point.
His innings eventually ended on 78 off just 26 balls, when he flat-batted a short delivery from Krunal Pandya towards long-on, where Virat Kohli held on to a low catch. The knock, studded with eight fours and seven sixes, left the chase well within reach, with Rajasthan needing just 73 more runs off 71 balls.
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