Pat Cummins Sums Up Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Class With Stunning Praise

Blistering fifties by Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to a five-wicket win Saturday after teen prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blasted 103 off 37 balls for Rajasthan Royals. Led by Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins, who made an impressive IPL return after a long injury layoff, Hyderabad chased down a target of 229 with nine balls to spare in Jaipur. Sooryavanshi torched the Hyderabad bowling attack after skipper Cummins won the toss and put Rajasthan in to bat. The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi hit four consecutive sixes in the opening over to set the tone, and then hit Cummins, bowling the second over, for a six off his first ball that he faced. 

He hit 12 sixes and five boundaries in his power-packed innings, which ended in the 14th over with Rajasthan at 170-3.

After his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) fell early, Sooryavanshi was ably supported by Dhruv Jurel, who hit a 35-ball 51.

South Africa’s Donovan Ferreira added a quick 33, and was the only other notable contributor for Rajasthan, who lost their momentum after Sooryavanshi departed. 

Cummins bowled four tidy overs for Hyderabad and finished with 1-27. 

Rajasthan paid heavily for missed chances early in the Hyderabad innings. 

England’s Jofra Archer opened with a fiery spell, removing Australia’s Travis Head off the fifth ball, after wicketkeeper Jurel dropped a regulation catch at the start of the over. 

Archer finished with 2-34 and was the most potent Rajasthan bowler but recieved little support.

His fast-bowling partner, South Africa’s Nandre Burger, was wicketless in 3.3 overs and gave away 50 runs. 

Kishan and Abhishek grasped the initiative and raced to 139 in the 10th over, before the latter fell for 57. Kishan followed soon after, out for 74 with Hyderabad at 166-3.

Heinrich Klaasen (29) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (36) took Hyderabad closer to the target before Salil Arora and Aniket Verma got them over the line. 

Cummins said it was a “really good win” and an ideal way to return to competition. His last outing was against England in the third Ashes Test at Adelaide in December.

“Never quite sure how it’ll come out first game (back),” he said.

Cummins also praised RR’s 15-year-old batting prodigy, calling him his new “favourite player”.

“Yeah, I think he’s my new favourite player. He hits the ball so hard, it’s great to watch. It’s good fun.

“You’ve got to be right on the money as bowler. Because if you’re not, it’s going a long way. He’s impressive.

“He’s had a great start to his career. I love the way he plays. It takes the game on.”

(WIth Added Inputs)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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