IPL 2026 | Was focused on hitting sixes, centuries will come: Vaibhav

RR’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during his 97 off 29 balls against SRH in Mullanpur on Thursday. Pic/PTI

Rajasthan Royals' star batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was not aware of the record of the fastest century in the IPL which he missed by three runs, but said his focus was on hitting sixes and and score maximum runs as he steered his team to a win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator here on Wednesday. Sooryavanshi struck 97 off just 29 balls with 12 sixes and five fours at an astronomical strike rate of 334.48 to help RR beat SRH by 47 runs and and set up a Qualifier 2 clash with Gujarat Titans. He missed the feat of fastest IPL hundred by a narrow margin but broke Chris Gayle's record of most sixes in a season, accumulating 65 maximums in IPL 2026.

"I got to know after the game," he said at the post-match presentation when asked about missing the record of fastest IPL hundred. "My focus was on hitting a six. I will score centuries in future but the focus was on getting maximum runs for the team. I just work on my plan and if there are any shortcomings, I just try to work on that." On his preparation for the game, he said, "I try to just analyse how to face the bowlers, judge the length of the boundaries. When I am showing good intent, the bowler is under pressure." "We have won so we will celebrate and try and do well in the next game. I don't think much about the bowlers, try to just play my game."

RR captain Riyan Parag the team management tries to give Sooryavanshi his space. "We don't have any conversations; just leave him alone. We give him a lot of batting practice and he does his thing." Analysing the match, he said, "I like to be a perfectionist, but even today we should have got 260, right? But with the ball we were impressive, held our own. It was a good performance under pressure." He agreed that playing two must-wins game have helped his team. "You could say that. It also brings out the best among people. Everyone has turned up more in these last two games." On conversations with England pacer Jofra Archer, who returned with figures of 3/58 to help RR bowled SRH out for 196, Riyan said, "We keep on having banters. He is one of the best if not the best in T20 cricket, bowling at 150 clicks." Archer simply said he just "bowled alright".

"Usually the team that gets most wickets in the powerplay wins, and we did that. You just got to hold your nerve (while bowling to the SRH top order). Your good balls and bad balls are going to the boundary so you have to hang in there," he said. On Sooryavanshi's stupendous innings, he said, "It was very exciting. The more runs he scores, the more runs we have to defend. He can get 150." Asked how to bowl to Sooryavanshi, Archer said, "I'll tell you after the IPL." "One game at a time. We are going in the right direction. We don't want to happen to us what happened to Kings XI," he said when asked about the road to the final. SRH captain Pat Cummins attributed the defeat to losing wickets in a heap at the wrong time.

"A few things have to go right to chase 245 but we lost a couple of wickets at the wrong time. (SRH were) one tiny bit away from being in the top two, but can't doubt the boys' efforts." On Sooryavanshi, Cummins said, "He played pretty well. A very good pitch but the margins are so small, you miss our yorker but he doesn't miss. (It was a) pretty good wicket. We are a very well rounded team." On the newer bowlers in the team, he said, "Praful (Hinge) and Sakib (Hussain) were great. We are one of the youngest team to get into the playoffs, and the coaching team have unearthed a few gems."

490
Total runs scored by Sooryavanshi in the Powerplay - the most by any player in an IPL season

100
RR's win percentage in Mullanpur - they have won all four games there

439
Total runs scored on Wednesday - the highest match aggregate across all IPL Playoffs

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