Sooryavanshi got hit on his helmet by Kagiso Rabad during his 96-run knock
Sooryavanshi's valiant 96-run innings took RR to 214 against GT
The winner of the Qualifier 2 will play against RCB in final of IPL 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again proved why he touted as a generational talent as he slams a mature half-century against Gujarat Titans on a tricky wicket in the Qualifier 2 of Indian Premier League in Mullanpur on Friday, May 29.
GT possess one of the most fearsome pace attacks of IPL 2026 with the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj in their ranks. Their bowlers lived up to their hype and sent two of the top three RR batters back in the hut in the first two overs.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who's reputed for taking down the bowlers from the first ball itself, displayed his maturity and batted with restraint. He reached his half-century in 31 balls, and it was the highest number of balls he took to reach that landmark in this season.
Apart from the early wickets, another reason for Sooryavanshi's measured approach was the two-paced nature of the Mullanpur wicket. It was not a pitch where a batter could go gung-ho from the onset as the ball was flying off the surface.
Even the well-set Sooryavanshi, who's known to play the short ball well, copped a blow from a short ball of Kagiso Rabada on his helmet. It was a well-directed bouncer by Rabada that hurried onto the 15-year-old opener, who got late on his shot and ended up getting hit on the grill of the helmet.
Sooryavanshi slammed a blistering 96 off 47 balls on a two-paced Mullanpur wicket and blasted eight fours and seven sixes during the course of his innings. This was his slowest fifty of this year's IPL, but one which had the stamp of maturity all over it.
However, once he got to his fifty, he shifted gears and took down GT bowlers to all parts of the ground. Unfortunately, he again missed his century by four runs, getting dismissed similarly as the last match.
