The China Mail - Sooryavanshi blasts rapid 97 to keep Rajasthan in IPL title hunt

The 15-year-old, who grabbed the Orange Cap for the most runs this season (680), destroyed Hyderabad's famed bowling with an incredible 29-ball 97, around which Rajasthan constructed an imposing 243-8 in New Chandigarh.

Jofra Archer then produced a furious opening burst which fetched him three wickets in three overs as Hyderabad were bowled out for 196 in the Eliminator.

The exciting Sooryavanshi unleashed another stunning exhibition of stroke-making as he breezed past Chris Gayle's 12-year-old record for the most sixes (59) in a single edition of the IPL.

With 65 sixes so far, the left-handed opener has put Gujarat's bowling on notice ahead of Friday's faceoff. The winner of Qualifier 2 will take on holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Sunday's final in Ahmedabad.

Sooryavanshi warmed up with a straight six off Cummins in the first over, then set about the Australian captain in his next with three sixes and a four.

Three more sixes in the following over, off Sakib Hussain, took him to his half-century in just 16 deliveries and he seemed on course for the fastest IPL hundred – Gayle holds that record, off 30 deliveries – when he pummelled Praful Hinge for three sixes and two fours.

Hinge, however, had the last laugh, having Sooryavanshi caught at third man to the utter disappointment of a full house. With Yashasvi Jaiswal as a silent, admiring partner, Sooryavanshi had totally dominated an opening salvo of 125, off just 49 deliveries.

Dhruv Jurel kept up the charge with a 20-ball fifty, but Hyderabad fought back in the final five overs which yielded just 36 to give their explosive batting line-up a whiff of a chance.

Archer put paid to those aspirations as he blasted out the prolific Abhishek Sharma off the second ball with a rapid bouncer, and even though Ishan Kishan threatened briefly, the Englishman had his number too before cleaning up Travis Head to leave the chase in tatters.

When Yash Raj Punja, the leg-spinner, trapped Heinrich Klaasen leg before off an ill-advised reverse sweep, the writing was on the wall. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Salil Arora delayed the inevitable, but Sooryavanshi and Rajasthan were not to be denied.

W.Tam--ThChM