Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added another feather to his cap as he created IPL history during Rajasthan Royals' clash against the Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh on Tuesday, April 28.
The 15-year-old took the Royals off to a flying start yet again in their chase of 223 against the unbeaten Kings as he smashed 43 off 16 balls. The Southpaw took the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen to the cleaners in his whirlwind that featured five sixes and three fours.
During his knock, the RR opener achieved a huge IPL record. With his 43, Sooryavanshi touched the 400-run margin in IPL 2026, and he did so in just 167 balls. The 167 deliveries that Sooryavanshi took to breach the 400-run mark are the fewest any player has taken to hit 400 runs in a single IPL season.
Sooryavanshi's blitz sets things for RR
Sooryavanshi put the bowlers to the sword. He smashed Arshdeep for two fours and a six in the first over, which went for 15 runs. The 15-year-old took on Ferguson for two sixes and a four in a 17-run over before hitting two more boundaries in a 12-run third over. RR were at 50 after 3.1 overs when he departed, slicing a low full toss to Shreyas Iyer at mid-off.
Stoinis' 62 powers PBKS to 222/4
Marcus Stoinis smashed a blistering 20-ball half-century, overpowering a spirited spell from young leg-spinner Yash Raj Punja as Punjab Kings piled up a strong 222 for 4 against the Rajasthan Royals in their IPL clash on Tuesday.
Although Punjab’s top order - Prabhsimran Singh (59 off 44), Priyansh Arya (29 off 11) and Cooper Connolly (30 off 14) - made promising starts, none managed to convert them into a big innings on a hard surface that offered good bounce. It was Stoinis who took charge, hammering an unbeaten 62 off just 22 balls, including six sixes and four fours, as the Royals conceded 55 runs in the final three overs.
The inexperienced Brijesh Sharma endured a tough outing, with his change-of-pace strategy backfiring as he leaked 24 runs in the last over, finishing with 0 for 42 in four overs. Stoinis, who has had limited opportunities this season, relied purely on brute force, while the Royals’ bowling attack - including the usually reliable Jofra Archer (1/40) - erred by consistently pitching the ball within his hitting zone.
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