Rajasthan Royalsโ IPL 2026 journey came to a heartbreaking end in Mullanpur on Friday night and the emotions of the moment were written all over Vaibhav Sooryavanshiโs face after the match. Minutes after Gujarat Titans sealed a seven-wicket victory in Qualifier 2, cameras spotted the 15-year-old sitting quietly in the Rajasthan dugout with tears in his eyes.ย
Sooryavanshi initially tried to hide his emotions with his cap before later covering his face with a towel as the disappointment of the defeat sank in.ย Notably, the youngster had once again produced a remarkable innings under pressure, but it ultimately ended in agony for both him and Rajasthan Royals.
Sooryavanshiโs brilliant show vs GT
Coming into the knockout clash after a sensational 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, Sooryavanshi continued his dream season with another fearless display. Rajasthan lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel early, leaving the side in immediate trouble, but the teenager counterattacked to revive the innings.
At one stage, RR looked in danger of collapsing before Sooryavanshi shifted gears in the middle overs. He mixed composure with aggression and kept Gujaratโs bowling attack under pressure despite wickets falling around him. His innings ended on 96 from just 47 balls after Kagiso Rabada dismissed him with a short delivery in the 18th over.
It marked the third time in his last four IPL innings that Sooryavanshi had fallen short of a century. The near-miss visibly hurt the teenager, who walked back slowly after once again missing out on the three-figure mark by the narrowest of margins. Meanwhile, towards the end, Donovan Ferreiraโs explosive unbeaten cameo pushed Rajasthan to 214, giving the Royals hope of defending a challenging total.
Shubman Gill changed the game
That hope, however, disappeared quickly once Gujaratโs chase got underway. Shubman Gill produced a captainโs innings under pressure, smashing a magnificent century to lead the GTโs response. Sai Sudharsan continued his consistent run with another attacking half-century as the pair stitched together a massive partnership that completely took the game away from Rajasthan.
Gujarat eventually chased down the target comfortably to book their place in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad.
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