Yesterday IPL Match Result: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 36-ball ton in vain as Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan guide SRH to win vs RR

JAIPUR: Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan are among the most destructive forces in the IPL at the moment. On Saturday, they made a mockery of a daunting 229-run target, dismantling Rajasthan Royals’ bowling attack with a blistering 132-run partnership off just 55 balls to help Sunrisers Hyderabad register a five-wicket win with nine balls remaining.

In a display of synchronised destruction, Abhishek (57 off 29) and Ishan (74 off 31) both brought up their fifties in 24 balls and with it, the pair spoiled Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s party. Earlier in the evening, the 15-year-old had stunned the crowd with a magnificent 103 off 37 balls.

The chase was not without its moments of fortune. Abhishek enjoyed two massive reprieves in consecutive overs — first in the fourth over, when Shimron Hetmyer misjudged a flat chance at third man and then in the fifth when Ravindra Jadeja uncharacteristically put down a sitter at backward point.

Donovan Ferreira eventually broke the in the 10th over, bowling a full one that Abhishek lofted towards long-off, where Jofra Archer took a fine overhead catch.

But with SRH at 139/2, the dismissal did little to disrupt their momentum. In the 13th over, Ferreira dived forward to take a sharp catch off Archer, removing Ishan and leaving SRH 166/3. Heinrich Klaasen (29 off 24) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (36 off 18) then kept the chase firmly on track to steer SRH to victory.

Earlier, Sooryavanshi gave Royals a blistering start as he brought up his second IPL hundred in 36 balls, studded with 12 sixes and five fours. During the blitz, he shared a 112-run stand off 62 balls with Dhruv Jurel (51 off 35). Sooryavanshi was dismissed the very next delivery after reaching his milestone, missing an attempted scoop and being trapped lbw.

Royals were still well placed at 170/3 in 13.5 overs, but the momentum stalled after the teenager’s departure. On this surface, 228/6 proved short. Pat Cummins was the standout exception on a day dominated by bat, finishing with 4-0-27-1. Back after a long injury layoff, the SRH captain showed his class by remaining the most economical bowler on a surface that offered little sanctuary.

Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals 228/6 (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 103, Dhruv Jurel 51, Donovan Ferreira 33; Eshan Malinga 2/38) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (Ishan Kishan 74, Abhishek Sharma 57, Nitish Kumar Reddy 36; Jofra Archer 2/34, Brijesh Sharma 2/44) by five wickets.