NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again found himself at the centre of attention after his breathtaking knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator. But apart from the fireworks on the field, one post-match moment involving SRH co-owner Kavya Maran also grabbed fans’ attention online.After Rajasthan Royals sealed a commanding 47-run victory at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Maran was seen greeting the 15-year-old batter and shaking hands with him near the boundary ropes. The Indian Premier League later shared the clip on social media, and it quickly went viral among cricket fans.Watch:The gesture came after Sooryavanshi delivered one of the most destructive innings in IPL playoff history. The left-handed opener smashed 97 runs off just 29 deliveries, hammering 12 sixes and five fours at a stunning strike rate above 334. His explosive innings powered Rajasthan Royals to a massive total of 243/8 in 20 overs.Sooryavanshi narrowly missed out on a century but still managed to rewrite several records during the knock. The teenager crossed Chris Gayle’s tally for the most sixes in a single IPL season and continued his remarkable rise as the breakout star of IPL 2026.While Rajasthan’s batting dominated the contest, Jofra Archer ensured Hyderabad never truly threatened during the chase. The England pacer picked up three important wickets and removed key batters early to put SRH under pressure. Nitish Kumar Reddy top-scored for Hyderabad with 38, while Ishan Kishan added 33 at the top.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, ending their campaign just short of the final stages. Rajasthan Royals now move on to Qualifier 2, where they will face Gujarat Titans for a place in the IPL 2026 final.
