New Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], May 29 (ANI): Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Riyan Parag felt his team posted a competitive total against Gujarat Titans (GT), describing the score as defendable on a pitch that “improved for batting” in the second innings after the heavy roller was used.
He noted that the surface offered grip and assistance to slower deliveries during the first innings and believed a total around 230 was par, while 240 would have been truly challenging.
Parag admitted RR needed early wickets from their openers but failed to get them, which ultimately made the contest difficult for his side.
A captain’s century from Shubman Gill, combined with yet another massive partnership with Sai Sudharsan, powered Gujarat Titans to victory over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League at Mullanpur on Friday.
With this win, the Gujarat Titans have set up the title clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Ahmedabad on Sunday. After RR put to bat first, a fine knock from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (96 in 47 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) and a cameo from Donovan Ferreira (38* in 11 balls, with two fours and four sixes) took RR to 214/6 in 20 overs.
Later in the chase of 215 runs, skipper Shubman Gill (104 in 53 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes) and his 167-run stand with Sai Sudharsan (58 in 32 balls, with eight fours and a six) set the platform for a three-wicket win.
“It was a par score; it was defendable. I felt that after the heavy roller, it got better in the second innings. In the first innings, the bowlers got some grip, and the slower ones did well. I thought 230 would have been a par score. A score around 240 would have been challenging, but we needed the openers early. It didn’t happen, which became tough for us,” Parag said after the match.
Parag reflected positively on Rajasthan Royals’ campaign, saying the season brought several positives despite the team’s relative inexperience. He noted that many did not expect RR to qualify, but praised the young players for stepping up and delivering strong performances, adding that the squad can only grow stronger from here.
“To sum it up in one sentence, there were many positives. We weren’t supposed to qualify, given that many players were young and inexperienced, but many youngsters performed well and can only improve from here,” he added.
Parag heaped praise on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his intelligent and composed batting, saying the youngster does far more than just power-hitting.
Parag highlighted how Sooryavanshi carefully calculates his innings and shot selection, expressing confidence that he has a bright future ahead and can play a key role in helping Rajasthan Royals win a second IPL title.
“I can’t put it into words, there’s one way where you slog and score many runs. But he doesn’t slog, you could see his innings today – he calculates and plays his shots. I can’t say how, but hopefully he will go on to do well in his career, do well for the Rajasthan Royals and win us a second title,” he concluded.
Sooryavanshi registered another massive score in another knockout match, producing another gem of a knock when his team lost wickets at the other end. The 15-year-old left-hander made 86 in 47 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes at a strike rate of 204.26.
In 16 matches this season, Sooryavanshi has scored 776 runs in 16 matches and innings at an average of 48.50, with a strike rate of 237.30, with a century and five fifties and a best score of 103. It also includes 63 fours and 72 sixes, making it a generational season on all counts.
This is the fifth-best IPL season in terms of runs, with Virat Kohli (973 runs in 2016), Shubman Gill (890 runs in 2023), Jos Buttler (863 runs in 2022) and David Warner (848 runs in 2016).
In 23 matches and innings, Sooryavanshi has 1,028 runs at an average of 44.69 and a strike rate of 228.95, including two centuries and six fifties, with a best score of 103.
He is the fastest to reach 1,000 IPL runs, in just 440 balls, outdoing West Indies legend Andre Russell (in 545 balls). In terms of innings, Sooryavanshi is the second fastest, reaching the milestone in 23 innings, with former Australia and Punjab Kings (PBKS) star Shaun Marsh (21 innings) at the top. (ANI)
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