Cricket
-Gaurav Sharma
Rajasthan Royals bowed out of IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 despite a heroic 96 from 15-year-old opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, leaving the teenager devastated. Gujarat’s chase of 215 appeared under control once Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan built a solid stand, finishing the job with eight balls left and ending Rajasthan Royals’ campaign.
Ravichandran Ashwin later spoke on a video posted to the YouTube channel, describing how deeply the Rajasthan Royals defeat affected Sooryavanshi. Ashwin focused less on tactics and more on the emotional toll, saying the youngster had emptied every bit of effort in pursuit of victory for Rajasthan Royals.
Rajasthan Royals were eliminated from IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 by Gujarat, who chased 215 thanks to Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, despite a 96 from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted the youngster’s deep disappointment and the team’s insufficient batting support.
Rajasthan Royals youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s emotions and mindset
Ashwin highlighted Sooryavanshi’s body language after the loss, saying the teenager’s expression said everything. “If you looked at his face after the match, you could see the sheer disappointment written all over it. This 15-year-old boy is just a little kid, but in his mind, it is always about winning the game for his team,” Ashwin said about the Rajasthan Royals opener.
The senior off-spinner underlined that Sooryavanshi had already shown a mature approach. Ashwin felt the teenager treated the IPL stage like a responsibility rather than a showpiece, especially for Rajasthan Royals. The near-century, pushing the total beyond 200, came with calculated aggression and determination during a pressure knockout.
Jadeja & Vaibhav Sooryavanshi started crying after losing from Gujarat Titans GT 🥺
Sai Sudarshan & Riyan Parag scolding him why getting out soon
Gill just wash out Rajasthan Royals 😰Rashid Khan#RRvsGT #GTvsRRpic.twitter.com/UCLhIxBqu7— Rolex x👑 (@Tfg85743663) May 29, 2026
Rajasthan Royals batting support and collapse around Sooryavanshi
While Sooryavanshi anchored the Rajasthan Royals innings, Ashwin felt the batting unit as a whole never truly settled. According to Ashwin, only Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira managed to give any meaningful support with the bat. Without Sooryavanshi’s 96, Rajasthan Royals might have finished far short of a competitive target.
| Player | Team | Runs | Balls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Rajasthan Royals | 96 | – |
| Dasun Shanaka | Rajasthan Royals | 3 | 9 |
Ashwin also reminded viewers that Rajasthan Royals had once been his team, which sharpened his view of their display. The former player for the franchise believed the side trailed in all phases, from early dismissals to the closing overs, and never appeared in charge despite Sooryavanshi’s standout performance.
He then broke down how wickets kept interrupting Rajasthan Royals. “To be honest, I’d say Rajasthan Royals were never in the game from start to finish. They were just not in the game. Yashasvi Jaiswal got out, Dhruv Jurel got out the way he did, Riyan Parag got out… Ravindra Jadeja provided a little bit of company, and Donovan Ferreira at the end. Look at Dasun Shanaka, he scored maybe three runs off nine balls, during which he left two balls alone. ‘Well left’ in a T20, would you believe it? And then a bouncer… I mean, alright. Then Jofra Archer came in at number six, Donovan Ferreira was there… nobody gave Sooryavanshi any support,” said Ashwin, criticising the Rajasthan Royals’ performance.
Ashwin’s comments stressed that the decisive difference came from the Gujarat top order, where Gill and Sudharsan’s partnership calmly guided the chase. For Rajasthan Royals and Sooryavanshi, the night ended with regret, but also with evidence that a 15-year-old opener had already become central to the team’s future plans.
