Chandigarh: The Rajasthan Royals’ journey in IPL 2026 concluded in a dramatic fashion on Friday night in Mullanpur, as emotions ran high for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following the match. After the Gujarat Titans secured a seven-wicket victory in Qualifier 2, cameras caught Sooryavanshi visibly upset in the Rajasthan dugout, tears in his eyes.
Initially, Sooryavanshi attempted to conceal his emotions with his cap, eventually resorting to a towel to cover his face as the weight of the defeat set in. The young talent had produced a standout innings under pressure, which ultimately ended in disappointment for both him and the Rajasthan Royals.
Sooryavanshi’s Impressive Performance Against GT
Entering the knockout clash on the heels of a remarkable 97-run innings against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, Sooryavanshi displayed fearlessness once again. Following the early loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, Rajasthan found themselves in a precarious position. Sooryavanshi countered effectively, reviving the innings when it appeared on the brink of collapse.
He quickly shifted gears in the middle overs, combining composure with aggression to apply pressure on Gujarat’s bowling attack amid falling wickets. His innings concluded at 96 runs off just 47 balls after Kagiso Rabada dismissed him with a short delivery in the 18th over.
This marked the third time in his last four IPL innings that Sooryavanshi fell short of a century, visibly affecting the teenager as he walked off slowly, missing a three-figure score by the narrowest of margins. Meanwhile, Donovan Ferreira’s explosive unbeaten cameo at the end helped Rajasthan reach a total of 214, providing the Royals with hopes of defending a formidable score.
Shubman Gill’s Game-Changing Performance
However, those hopes waned quickly as Gujarat commenced their chase. Shubman Gill delivered a captain’s performance under pressure, registering a magnificent century to spearhead GT’s pursuit. Sai Sudharsan contributed with another attacking half-century, and together they formed a substantial partnership that significantly shifted the momentum away from Rajasthan.
Ultimately, Gujarat comfortably chased down the target, securing their place in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad.
