Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi endured a disappointing outing as he recorded a golden duck during the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. This match resulted in a 57-run loss for the Royals, with debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain emerging as standout players.
Sooryavanshi had been a significant contributor to Rajasthan’s success this season, featuring impressive performances including two brisk fifties. Unfortunately, he struggled this time as Hinge’s bowling disrupted the Royals’ innings from the start. In an unprecedented showcase, Hinge secured three wickets in his opening over, taking down Sooryavanshi along with Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, all of whom did not score.
The young bowler’s impressive performance didn’t stop there; he concluded the match with four wickets to his name. Hussain, who joined as an impact substitute, supported Hinge effectively by finishing with figures of 4-24. The Royals found themselves in distress early on in their chase, collapsing to 9-5, and Hinge added to their woes by dismissing captain Riyan Parag for just four runs.
On the batting side, Donovan Ferreira led the charge for Rajasthan, scoring 69 runs, while Ravindra Jadeja contributed 45. Their partnership of 118 runs provided a silver lining for Rajasthan as they attempted to recover from their poor start. However, despite these efforts, Hyderabad’s bowling attack proved too strong, collectively restricting Rajasthan to 159 all out in just 19 overs.
This defeat marked Rajasthan’s first loss in five matches during the tournament, although they maintained their position at the top of the 10-team table. Meanwhile, Hyderabad, former champions of the IPL in 2016, bounced back strongly after experiencing two previous defeats this season.
Sooryavanshi’s dismissal came as a surprise to many, as he had been in excellent form leading into this match. After top-edging Hinge’s rising delivery, the young opener walked off the field, visibly disappointed as Rajasthan’s misery continued in their chase.
His remarkable debut season last year included a record-setting 35-ball century, underscoring his potential as a rising star in the T20 format. Over 12 matches, he has accumulated 452 runs, boasting a staggering strike rate of 228.28, marking him as one of the most exciting talents to watch.
In the earlier innings, Hyderabad’s captain Ishan Kishan set the tone with a spectacular performance, scoring 91 runs off just 44 deliveries. After being put in to bat first, Hyderabad posted a formidable total of 216-6. Initially, the innings faced hiccups with Abhishek Sharma falling to Jofra Archer on the very first ball and Travis Head scoring only 18 runs. However, Kishan’s aggression along with Heinrich Klaasen, who added 40 runs, helped stabilize the innings and guide Hyderabad to their imposing score.
Rajasthan’s pace spearhead, Archer, concluded the match with figures of 2-37, showcasing his prowess despite the team’s overall poor performance. As the tournament progresses, both teams will look to build on this match’s aftermath for their upcoming games.