IPL Dispatch: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Delights With Bat And Mike; Mohammed Shami Question Lingers

After their five-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals (DC), Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Riyan Parag had called into question his side's "skills, energy and execution" on the night. He said they "should not be in the top four" of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 if they play like this. Though Parag did not take the field in Jaipur on Tuesday (May 19), he would likely be pleased with how his teammates responded to the gauntlet thrown down by him.

ALSO READ: RR Vs LSG Highlights

Despite a powerplay onslaught from Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis and subsequent big-hitting at the batting-friendly Sawai Mansingh Stadium, the Royals were able to limit Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to a 220-run total, with Jofra Archer bowling a fantastic final over.

Then in the chase, an uncharacteristically slow start from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi — he scored five runs off his first 10 balls — did not bog the teenager down. He unleashed his strokeplay in the most remarkable manner, blasting 88 off the next 28 balls to rip the LSG bowling to shreds and take Rajasthan to the doorstep of victory.

Dhruv Jurel competently did the rest, and Donovan Ferreira struck the winning blow that lifted RR to the fourth spot. Parag's men now need to beat the knocked-out Mumbai Indians on Sunday to rightfully earn their playoff berth. Of the four other teams vying for that last berth, none has its destiny in its own hands like the Royals.

IPL 2026 Points Table After Match 64

Pant Dances Around Shami Question

At Tuesday's toss, Rishabh Pant conveyed the unexpected news of LSG replacing their frontline seamer Mohammed Shami with Mohsin Khan. Commentator Ian Bishop repeatedly tried to ask Pant about the reasoning behind the decision, but the Super Giants captain didn't appear eager to offer one. After multiple failed attempts, Bishop gave up.

There was no mention of an injury to Shami, which left only two possibilities: either the senior seamer was surprisingly dropped, or that he was rested to give Mohsin an opportunity. Pant, perhaps still processing the news of his removal as India Test vice-captain and dropping from the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series, did not clarify which of the two it was.

Photo Of The Day

Spare a thought for Marsh, who top-scored in the match, fell agonisingly short of a hundred and then had to face defeat. The Aussie all-rounder succumbed to a piece of fielding brilliance from Yashasvi Jaiswal to be run out for a superb 96 off 57 balls, and his knock propelled LSG to a 220-run total.

The 34-year-old brought up a century partnership for the first wicket with compatriot Josh Inglis off just 48 balls, and before that they racked up the fastest team 50 (off 21 balls) for the Super Giants in IPL history.

Even after Inglis departed for a 29-ball 60, Marsh kept going hammer and tongs. He got to his fifty off 25 balls and also became the first Lucknow batter to tally 500-plus runs in back-to-back IPL seasons. Marsh had amassed 627 runs in the 2025 edition.

KKR Most Valuable, Kohli Highest Grosser: Report

The combined valuation of all 10 IPL franchises stands at INR 1.63 lakh crore, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lead the way with a valuation of over INR 19,200 crore, according to a report titled 'India's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2026' by Fanatic Sports and Hurun. The average valuation of an IPL team is projected to jump to USD 15 billion by 2032 from the present USD 1.8 billion in the report.

Furthermore, Virat Kohli has emerged as the highest earner in the 18-year-old IPL's history, grossing Rs 230 crore from his association with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rohit Sharma with earnings of INR 227.2 crore and MS Dhoni at 200 crore follow Kohli in all-time IPL earnings, the report said.

In contrast, among women cricketers, Smriti Mandhana tops Women's Premier League with cumulative earnings at INR 13.7 crore till now and the top-10 women players have earned INR 90 crore till now.

BCCI Can't Interfere In Player Injuries During IPL: Saikia

KKR have courted controversy by reportedly forcing India's centrally contracted player Varun Chakravarthy to play despite a fractured left foot, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia conceded that the board "cannot interfere" in franchises' affairs when the IPL is on.

"So far as IPL is concerned, franchises take care of the injuries and fitness of the players. Of course physios from COE (Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru) are also monitoring them, workload as well as plan on how to keep them fit," Saikia said. "The monitoring is there but when IPL is going on, we cannot interfere too much, had it been Indian team situation, our control would have been more," he added.

Quote Of The Day

After essaying a match-winning 38-ball 93 for Rajasthan, 'Boss Baby' Sooryavanshi said all the right things to reassure fans and experts of his bright future. Asked by commentator Murali Kartik at the post-match presentation about what he thinks of all the adulation and hype around him, the 15-year-old smilingly said, "I don't read papers and all."

He elaborated: "I just think this is the start and if I have a long career then a lot of things will be said. I just want to focus on my game and the complete journey."

Sooryavanshi also made Kartik chuckle when the latter inquired about his fifty celebration. "Even I don't know what that was, even the last game's celebration didn't mean anything. I just keep trying new things."

Elsewhere...

In Sylhet, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam claimed a four-wicket haul as Bangladesh moved within three wickets of a series sweep against Pakistan after reducing the tourists to 316 for 7 on day 4 of the second and final Test. Mohammad Rizwan was batting on 75 as the last hope for Pakistan, with Sajid Khan on 8 at stumps. Salman Agha and captain Shan Masood added 71 runs each to help take the match and their pursuit of an improbable 437 to a fifth day.

Meanwhile, Kohli conceded that he went through a distressing phase after stepping down from India captaincy but profusely thanked Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathour for helping rediscover the joy of playing cricket. “Only when I left captaincy, I opened up and I shared a lot more with people like Rahul Bhai and Vikram Rathour. I had a great run in Test cricket in 2023 and whenever I meet them, I always thank them from the bottom of my heart.

“They really took care of me in a way that made me feel like I wanted to play for them. I want to perform. I want to go out there and grind it out. They were so caring and nurturing. They made me realise what I have done so far,” Kohli said during the third edition of the RCB Innovation Lab’s Indian Sports Summit.