The teenage sensation fell seven runs short of a hundred but his whirlwind 93 off just 38 balls left the contest virtually decided by the time he fell at the end of the 14th over. Sooryavanshi smashed seven fours and 10 sixes, dismantling both pace and spin with remarkable ease in one of the most explosive innings of the season.
Chasing 221 after Mitchell Marsh’s 96 had powered LSG to a formidable total, RR came out with clear intent. Yashasvi Jaiswal set the tone early, hammering a rapid 43 off 23 balls as the hosts raced to 71 without loss in the Powerplay. Once Sooryavanshi settled in, however, the chase turned into a one-sided assault.
The left-hander reached his fifty in just 23 balls and repeatedly cleared the ropes, putting LSG’s bowlers under relentless pressure. His 105-run stand with Dhruv Jurel ensured RR never lost momentum even after Jaiswal’s dismissal.
Jurel then calmly finished the job with an unbeaten 53 off 38 balls, mixing composure with timely aggression. His knock, studded with three fours and three sixes, provided the perfect balance after Sooryavanshi’s fireworks had broken the back of the chase. Donovan Ferreira remained unbeaten on 9 as RR reached 225/3 in 19.1 overs, completing the win with five balls to spare.
Earlier, Mitchell Marsh once again fell short of scoring an IPL hundred. Four days after a blistering 90 against Chennai Super Kings, Marsh flirted with three figures one more time, this time crafting a commanding 96 off 57 balls, with 11 fours and five sixes, to power LSG to 220/5.
If the milestone eluded him, the impact did not. On a night when RR’s playoff hopes hung in the balance, Marsh’s innings ensured they were left chasing a daunting target.
Marsh began watchfully but grew in authority, unleashing a range of strokes. His boundaries came with increasing frequency, aided in part by some indifferent bowling and a sloppy effort in the field from the hosts.
He found an able ally in fellow Australian Jos Inglis. Their 109-run opening stand set the tone, with LSG racing to 83 without loss in the Powerplay. Inglis, the early aggressor, smashed 60 off 29 balls, with seven fours and three sixes, capitalising on an early reprieve when Sushant Mishra failed to judge a skier at square leg in the first over.