Chennai Super Kings’ batting was horrific. Rajasthan Royals’ was prolific. CSK were bowled out for merely 127 in 19.4 overs. RR needed only 12.1 overs to attain 128. If CSK’s effort was an absolute horror-show, RR’s was a one-man spectacle – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. A 15-ball fifty – the joint third-fastest in the IPL – nipped the game in the bud, making an underwhelming total look even more abysmal. Such was Sooryavanshi’s carnage that even the 53 runs Royals scored after the teenager’s dismissal to get over the line, at a decent enough rate of over 9, felt a bit sluggish in comparison.
Be it milking Henry over deep midwicket for a six or treating Anshul Kamboj with disdain, Sooryavanshi once again proved why he belongs at the top-flight level despite turning 15 only three days back. The second season is often the litmus test for a young player, but – early days as it may be – Sooryavanshi doesn’t seem to be fazed by the challenge.
Brief Scores: CSK 127 in 19.4 overs [Jamie Overton 43 (36); Jofra Archer 2-19, Ravindra Jadeja 2-18, Nandre Burger 2-26] lost to RR 128/2 in 12.1 overs [Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 52 (17), Yashasvi Jaiswal 38 (36); Anshul Kamboj 2-27] by 8 wickets.
CSK head to Chennai for their first home game of the season – on April 3 against Punjab Kings. Royals will travel to Ahmedabad to face Gujarat Titans on April 4.