NEW DELHI : Rajasthan Royals have struggled for consistency this season and lost several close games, but the emergence of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been a silver lining for the franchise.
Suryavanshi, already a centurion in IPL-2025 and the talk of the cricketing world, again exhibited his raw talent and audacious strokeplay on Tuesday, with the Chennai Super Kings being at the receiving end of the stick this time around. Suryavanshi (57 off 33b; 4x4, 4x6) continued with his fearless approach as the Royals chased down a target of 188 in just 17.1 overs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, winning by 6 wickets in the end.
Suryavanshi’s opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal (36 off 19b; 5x4, 2x6) set the tone for Rajasthan in spectacular fashion. Taking on Khaleel Ahmed early, Jaiswal peppered the boundary ropes. After Jaiswal was castled by Anshul Kamboj, Suryavanshi shifted gears during a rollicking, 98-run second-wicket partnership with skipper Sanju Samson (41 off 31b; 3x4, 2x6). Suryavanshi combined textbook drives with innovative shots, never letting the bowlers settle. Despite his age, Suryavanshi’s temperament was that of a seasoned campaigner. In the company of Samson, Suryavanshi ensured the required run-rate never spiralled out of control.
Dhruv Jurel (31 not out off 12b; 2x4, 3x6) and Shimron Hetmyer (12 not out off 5b; 1x4, 1x6) completed the formalities for the Royals. Earlier, it was an all-too-familiar uncertain start for CSK. Once again, it was left to the team’s ‘youth brigade’ to step up as the team got to 187/8 in their 20 overs after Royals elected to field first.
Opener Devon Conway and one drop Urvil Patel were dismissed in the second over by Rajasthan pacer Yudhvir Singh Charak. Conway, in particular, fell to a soft dismissal, caught at mid-off by Riyan Parag while trying to force the pace. Youngster Patel, too, couldn’t gauge the pace of Yudhvir and was caught at mid-on. His slog to a hard length delivery didn’t meet the desired result as the bat turned in his hand while making contact. The double strike left CSK reeling at 12/2 by the end of the second over.
Into the cauldron stepped 17-yearold Ayush Mhatre, already touted as one of the finds of the season. Unfazed by the early wickets, Mhatre (43 off 20b; 8x4, 1x6) counter-attacked with a flurry of boundaries, displaying a maturity and range of strokes well beyond his years. He found an able partner in Ravichandran Ashwin (13 off 8b; 1x4, 1x6), who was promoted up the order, and together they stitched a brisk partnership of 56 runs.
SCORES: RR 188/4 in 17.1 overs (V Suryavanshi 57, S Samson 41, Y Jaiswal 36, D Jurel 31*) beat CSK 187/8 in 20 overs (A Mhatre 43, D Brevis 42, S Dube 39, MS Dhoni 16; Madhwal 3/29, Yudhvir 3/47) by 6 wickets .
Get IPL 2025 match schedules, squads, points table, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.Hindol Basu is a Principal Correspondent with the The Times of In...
Read MoreHindol Basu is a Principal Correspondent with the The Times of India. Over the years, as a sports journalist, Hindol has covered important events like the 2012 London Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Hindol has had a diverse profile having worked in all forms of media - TV, Radio, New Media and Print. Besides, being an avid blogger, Hindol plays the guitar, writes poetry and is interested in photography.
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