It was Vaibhav Suryavanshi who once again owned the night, turning a high-pressure chase into his personal stage. Questions had been asked about how the 15-year-old would handle the new ball pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, but the youngster responded with fearless hitting and complete control from the start.
Suryavanshi explosion sets up the chase
He came out swinging without hesitation, and whenever he found the middle of the bat, the ball flew. 15 of his 26 deliveries resulted in boundaries as he tore into the attack and pushed the chase firmly in Rajasthan’s favour. Even experienced operators like Krunal Pandya were taken on as he kept the scoring rate sky-high.
A hundred looked within reach before he mistimed one to long-on, ending a destructive knock. By then, however, the match had already tilted heavily in favour of Rajasthan Royals.
The platform had been laid early, with Rajasthan’s intent clear from the first over. Suryavanshi’s clean striking and fearlessness ensured RCB were immediately on the back foot, unable to settle into any rhythm with the ball.
Jurel-Jadeja calm shuts door on RCB fightback
There was a brief wobble after his dismissal, with quick wickets bringing Royal Challengers Bengaluru back into the contest. But Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja batted with control and maturity, absorbing pressure and rotating strike smartly.
Their unbeaten stand ensured no further damage. Rajasthan eventually chased down 202 with nearly two overs remaining, continuing their strong start to the season. Earlier, RCB had reached 201/8, led by Rajat Patidar, but it was not enough to stop the Royals’ momentum.
Here is full list –Most times successfully chasing 200-plus in IPL
9 – PBKS
6 – MI
5 – RR*
4 – SRH
4 – RCB