Records shattered in 986-run chaos as teen phenom blasts hundred in Cummins’ IPL return

A monumental unbeaten 152 by KL Rahul, the highest T20 score by an Indian, went in vain as Punjab Kings mounted the largest successful chase in IPL history to extend their lead at the top of the table on a run-soaked Saturday with a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.

Rahul’s masterpiece, which came off 67 deliveries with 16 fours and nine sixes, and his 220-run second-wicket stand with Nitish Rana powered Delhi to a mammoth 2-264 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Punjab replied in kind through openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, who put on 126 in just 42 deliveries.

Prabhsimran dazzled with a 26-ball 76 and when Punjab lost three wickets in quick succession, skipper Shreyas Iyer rode his luck to steer his team home with seven deliveries to spare.

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Delhi, already hampered by the absence of lead pacer Lungi Ngidi, reprieved Shreyas on 28 and 35 with substitute fielder Karun Nair the guilty party on both occasions.

South African Ngidi was stretchered off the field and driven in an ambulance to the hospital after landing heavily and hitting the back of his head on the turf while unsuccessfully attempting a catch off Arya.

Shreyas made the most of his good fortune with his fourth fifty in five innings as Punjab maintained their unbeaten start to the tournament.

Between them, Prabhsimran and Arya smashed five sixes apiece in the first four overs and Shreyas provided the finishing touches with an electric unbeaten 71 which ultimately relegated Rahul’s heroics to a footnote.

Rahul had been shelled twice in the afternoon after Axar Patel chose to set a target, dropped by Shashank Singh on 12 and by paceman Vijaykumar Vyshak when on 51.

Those two blemishes apart, it was a magnificent knock marked by classical driving through the straight field and crunchy pulls whenever the bowlers pitched it short.

“I was very pleased at the end of the first 20 overs. There was a time when the T20 game was slightly different, and I, as an opener, could take my time,” said 34-year-old Rahul, who is no longer a part of the Indian 20-over set-up.

“But today’s demand is that the first six overs are the most important. I stuck to being true to my game.”

Rana (91) was an almost equal partner as the second-wicket pair rained carnage. The No. 3 smashed Australian pacer Xavier Bartlett for two sixes and four fours in one over to keep pace with Rahul, who brought up his sixth IPL century off 47 deliveries.

Rahul’s second hundred for Delhi made him the first batter to score multiple tons for three different franchises in the IPL and he seemed to have secured the two points for his team.

But Punjab had other designs, bettering their own previous highest successful chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 in grand style.

TEEN PHENOM BLASTS CENTURY IN CUMMINS’ IPL RETURN

Blistering fifties by Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to a five-wicket win 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 3-170.

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.

“I think he’s my new favourite player,” Cummins said of Sooryavanshi during the post-match press conference.

“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 a 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 like the way he plays, takes the game on.”

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 received 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 3-166.

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.

Kishan said staying calm while trying to knock off Rajasthan’s 6-228 was crucial to the victory.

“Most important thing is have a good powerplay (and) I was just communicating with Abhishek, well aware of what the run rate was,” he added.

“We had a great partnership in the middle.”

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