Vaibhav Sooryavanshi powers Rajasthan Royals into IPL qualifier with demolition of Sunrisers

The 15-year-old opener hammered 12 sixes and five fours as RR posted 243-8, falling just short of Chris Gayle's record for the fastest IPL century, but surpassing the West Indian's tally for most sixes in a single IPL season, moving to 65.

RR raced to 80 without loss in the powerplay and 125 inside eight overs, with Sooryavanshi dismantling SRH's attack despite disciplined plans from Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga.

Anything full was driven cleanly, anything short disappeared behind square, and slower balls were lofted over extra cover. He reached a 16-ball fifty before falling for 97, top-edging Praful Hinge to third man after completely dominating the innings.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, by contrast, managed 29 from the same number of deliveries, underlining Sooryavanshi's dominance.

Dhruv Jurel added a rapid 20-ball fifty to keep RR on course for a massive total, mixing scoops and uppercuts in a high-tempo knock.

However, the innings faded badly late on, with RR collapsing to 36 for 5 in the final five overs and finishing below what had earlier looked like a 250-plus score.

Jofra Archer ripped through SRH's top order with three wickets in the powerplay, removing Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Ishan Kishan as the chase unraveled early.

SRH briefly fought back through Heinrich Klaasen and a mid-innings partnership between Nitish Kumar Reddy and Salil Arora, but regular wickets and rising pressure kept them behind the rate.

A key blow came when leg-spinner Yash Raj Punja dismissed Klaasen lbw after a failed reverse sweep, ending any realistic hope of a comeback.

SRH were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, handing RR a 47-run victory and a place in Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans.

Archer's early burst and Sooryavanshi's explosive start proved decisive, as RR moved one step closer to a place in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.