93 From a 15‑Year‑Old. 96 From an Aussie. One First Home Win.
One Spot Left. Five Teams Fighting. Welcome to the IPL’s Most Chaotic Week.
Rajasthan Royals were winless at home all season. Lucknow Super Giants were already eliminated. What unfolded at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday night was a tale of two breathtaking innings — Mitchell Marsh’s 96 from 57 balls for LSG, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 93 from 38 for RR — and a chase that sent Rajasthan to fourth place, eliminated LSG officially, and set up a five‑team scramble for one playoff spot that will now stretch across the final five days of the league stage.
Left: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during his breathtaking 93 off 38 balls — 10 sixes, 7 fours, SR 244.74. Right: Mitchell Marsh fell four short of a century, his 96 off 57 powering LSG to 220/5. (Photos: Sportzpics / BCCI / IPL)
LSG Innings — 220/5: Marsh’s 96, Inglis’ Blitz, and a Powerplay That Broke Rajasthan Open
Yashasvi Jaiswal — captaining RR for the injured Riyan Parag — won the toss and chose to bowl. It was a decision that looked catastrophic inside three overs. Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis, both from Western Australia, treated the RR attack like a net session. Marsh advanced down the track to Jofra Archer in the first over and flayed him for a four and a six over the covers. Inglis scooped Archer over short fine leg. By the end of the powerplay, LSG had racked up 83 without loss — four of their top‑five powerplay scores in IPL history have come this season[reference:0]. RR’s attack, meanwhile, went wicketless in the powerplay for a fourth successive game.
The opening pair added 109 runs in just 50 balls — a partnership of sheer brutality. Marsh was the aggressor: 96 off 57 deliveries, 11 fours, 5 sixes, strike rate 168.42. Inglis was the accelerator: 60 off 29 balls, 7 fours, 3 sixes, strike rate 206.90. “Josh played smart cricket and let me attack,” Marsh would later say[reference:1].
Rajasthan’s only meaningful resistance with the ball came from leg‑spinner Yash Raj Punja. He produced the first boundary‑less over of the innings in the 13th, then castled Inglis with a beauty that hit middle stump after the Australian missed an attempted slog‑sweep. Punja also removed Nicholas Pooran and finished with 2 for 35 — the only RR bowler to concede at less than 10 runs per over. Captain Rishabh Pant contributed 35 off 25 before being run out in the final over. LSG finished at 220 for 5 — a total that had looked par for most of the innings, but one that would prove insufficient against a 15‑year‑old in a hurry.
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Marsh ★ | c Dasun Shanaka b Brijesh Sharma | 96 | 57 | 11 | 5 | 168.42 |
| Josh Inglis ★ | b Yash Raj Punja | 60 | 29 | 7 | 3 | 206.90 |
| Rishabh Pant (c & wk) | run out (Dasun Shanaka) | 35 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 140.00 |
| Nicholas Pooran | c †Jurel b Yash Raj Punja | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 160.00 |
| Abdul Samad | not out | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 233.33 |
| Shahbaz Ahmed | not out | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 250.00 |
Extras: 9 (w 8, lb 1). FOW: 109/1 (Inglis, 8.4), 191/2 (Marsh, 16.1), 203/3 (Pooran, 17.5), 215/4 (Pant, 19.5). Powerplay: 83/0. Source: ESPNcricinfo, IPLT20.
| Bowler | O | R | W |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yash Raj Punja ★ | 4 | 35 | 2 |
| Brijesh Sharma | 4 | 42 | 1 |
| Jofra Archer | 4 | 48 | 0 |
| Dasun Shanaka | 4 | 46 | 0 |
| Adam Milne | 4 | 48 | 0 |
💚 Marsh’s 96 — The Near‑Century That Haunted LSG
Mitchell Marsh fell four runs short of what would have been his second IPL century of the season. His 109‑run opening stand with Inglis was the highest powerplay partnership of the match. Marsh now has 563 runs in IPL 2026 — second in the Orange Cap race — and finishes his campaign with 4 fifties and a hundred.
RR Chase — 225/3 in 19.1 Overs: Sooryavanshi’s Symphony, Jaiswal’s Blitz, Jurel’s Cool Finish
Chasing 221 — a target that would be the highest successful chase in Jaipur this season — Rajasthan needed a start. Yashasvi Jaiswal, captaining in Parag’s absence, came out swinging. He smashed three consecutive boundaries in the first over, then took Mohsin Khan for 19 in his second — driving through cover, flicking over midwicket, and lofting over extra cover. RR finished the powerplay on 71 without loss: Jaiswal 39 off 21, Sooryavanshi 25 off 17.
Akash Singh removed Jaiswal for 43 immediately after the powerplay. That brought Dhruv Jurel to the crease — and unleashed a version of Sooryavanshi that Jaipur has come to expect as routine. He had been unusually restrained early on (11 off 12 at one stage). Then, in the ninth over, he lined up Akash Singh for two sixes and three fours — 26 runs from six deliveries. The next over, he brought up his fourth fifty‑plus score of IPL 2026 in 23 balls — his slowest this season, which says everything about his standards. He then took Prince Yadav for two more massive sixes in the 11th over.
The 12th over was the knockout blow. Sooryavanshi and Jurel combined to smash Mayank Yadav for 29 runs — the second‑most runs conceded by an LSG bowler this season. Sooryavanshi missed out on a well‑deserved century when Mohsin Khan returned to have him caught for 93 in the 14th over — 7 fours, 10 sixes, strike rate 244.74. His sixes tally in IPL 2026 now stands at 53. Only Chris Gayle (59 in 2012) has hit more sixes in a single IPL season — a record set when Sooryavanshi was one year old[reference:2].
Jurel took charge from there. His unbeaten 53 off 38 balls — calm, composed, utterly professional — anchored the closing stages alongside Donovan Ferreira (7 before an unfortunate run‑out) and Lhuan‑dre Pretorius. RR reached 225 for 3 in 19.1 overs. Their first home win of IPL 2026. Fourth place on the points table. And a playoff race that now has five teams fighting for one spot.
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ★ | c Marsh b Mohsin Khan | 93 | 38 | 7 | 10 | 244.74 |
| Dhruv Jurel (wk) ★ (not out) | — | 53 | 38 | 3 | 3 | 139.47 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal (c) | c Marsh b Akash Singh | 43 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 186.96 |
| Lhuan‑dre Pretorius | run out (Pant/Akash) | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 77.78 |
| Donovan Ferreira (not out) | — | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 125.00 |
Extras: 14 (w 12, nb 2). FOW: 75/1 (Jaiswal, 7.2), 183/2 (Sooryavanshi, 13.4), 209/3 (Pretorius, 16.4). Powerplay: 71/0. Target: 221. Source: ESPNcricinfo, News18.
| Bowler | O | R | W |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohsin Khan ★ | 4 | 31 | 1 |
| Akash Singh | 4 | 42 | 1 |
| Mayank Yadav | 3 | 44 | 0 |
| Prince Yadav | 3 | 46 | 0 |
| Digvesh Rathi | 3 | 42 | 0 |
| Abdul Samad | 2.1 | 14 | 0 |
💗 Sooryavanshi’s ‘A’ Celebration — The Meaning Behind It
After reaching his fifty, Sooryavanshi made an ‘A’ gesture with his hands, puzzling everyone. Asked post‑match, he shrugged: “I don’t know. I just do something new every match. I don’t really plan it. There’s no meaning behind it. Even the celebration I did in the last match had no meaning. I just keep trying new things.”[reference:3] The innocence of the answer — from a 15‑year‑old who now leads the Orange Cap race — captured everything about his fairytale season.
Key Moments That Defined the Match
1. LSG’s 83/0 Powerplay: Marsh and Inglis tore into Archer, Milne and Shanaka — LSG’s fourth‑highest powerplay score in IPL history. RR went wicketless in the powerplay for the fourth consecutive match.
2. Punja Castles Inglis (LSG 109/1, 8.4 ov): Yash Raj Punja’s leg‑break beat Inglis’ slog‑sweep and crashed into middle stump. The Australian departed for 60 off 29. Relief for RR.
3. Jaiswal’s Powerplay Blitz (RR 71/0, 6 ov): Three boundaries in the first over. Nineteen off Mohsin’s second over. Jaiswal’s 43 off 23 set the tone for the chase.
4. Sooryavanshi’s 26‑Run Over Off Akash Singh (RR 9th over): Two sixes, three fours. The switch from patient to brutal was instantaneous. The over broke LSG’s spirit.
5. Sooryavanshi & Jurel’s 29‑Run Over Off Mayank Yadav (RR 12th over): The duo combined to smash Mayank for 29 — the second‑most expensive over by an LSG bowler this season.
6. Sooryavanshi Falls for 93 (RR 183/2, 13.4 ov): Mohsin Khan finally removed him, caught by Marsh. Seven runs short of a century. But the damage was done.
Records & Milestones — Sooryavanshi Takes the Orange Cap
◆ Match 64 — Statistical Landmarks
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi — 579 runs in IPL 2026: Now leads the Orange Cap race. 53 sixes — second‑most in a single IPL season, behind only Chris Gayle (59 in 2012).
- RR’s first home win of IPL 2026: After starting 0‑3 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
- RR conceded their 8th 200‑plus total this season: Second‑most by any team in a single IPL season (PBKS have 9 in 2026).
- Orange Cap changed hands twice during the match: Mitchell Marsh (563) briefly led before Sooryavanshi’s 93 took him to 579.
- Yash Raj Punja — 2/35: The only RR bowler with an economy below 10 in the innings.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal — 43 off 23: Stand‑in captain led from the front in his first game as RR skipper.
| 🧡 Orange Cap — Top 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) | 579 |
| 2 | Mitchell Marsh (LSG) | 563 |
| 3 | Sai Sudharsan (GT) | 555 |
| 4 | Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) | 555 |
| 5 | Shubman Gill (GT) | 554 |
| 🟣 Purple Cap — Top 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB) | 24 |
| 2 | Kagiso Rabada (GT) | 22 |
| 3 | Anshul Kamboj (CSK) | 20 |
| 4 | Pat Cummins (SRH) | 19 |
| 5 | Rashid Khan (GT) | 16 |
Source: News18, Sportstiger, Lokmat Times. Orange Cap lead changed twice during the match.
What They Said — The Post‑Match Verdicts
IPL 2026 Points Table — After Match 64 (RR Climb to 4th, LSG Eliminated)
| # | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RCB — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Q) | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 18 | +1.065 |
| 2 | GT — Gujarat Titans (Q) | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 16 | +0.400 |
| 3 | SRH — Sunrisers Hyderabad (Q) | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 16 | +0.350 |
| 4 | RR — Rajasthan Royals | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | +0.083 |
| 5 | PBKS — Punjab Kings | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 | +0.227 |
| 6 | CSK — Chennai Super Kings | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 12 | -0.016 |
| 7 | DC — Delhi Capitals | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 12 | -0.871 |
| 8 | KKR — Kolkata Knight Riders | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 11 | -0.038 |
| 9 | MI — Mumbai Indians (E) | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 8 | -0.504 |
| 10 | LSG — Lucknow Super Giants (E) | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 8 | -0.702 |
(Q) = Qualified. (E) = Eliminated. Sources: Times Now, Lokmat Times, IPLT20, NDTV Sports.
The Playoff Race — One Spot, Five Teams, Endless Scenarios
Three teams have qualified. Five teams are fighting for the final playoff berth. Here is every contender’s path — and probability.
Source: Times of India (128 possible result combinations), Yahoo Sports, NDTV Sports.
💗 RR — Rajasthan Royals (14 pts, NRR +0.083)
Remaining: vs MI (May 24). Path: Beat MI → reach 16 pts → qualify regardless of other results. That is the only path RR control. If RR lose to MI and stay on 14, they need PBKS to lose to LSG, KKR to lose at least one, CSK to lose to GT, and DC to lose to KKR — then hope NRR holds. “RR is best placed among the others,” notes the Times of India. “The ideal RR scenario is that they claim two wins and reach 16 points, thus eliminating every other team in contention.”[reference:9]
🔴 PBKS — Punjab Kings (13 pts, NRR +0.227)
Remaining: vs LSG (May 23). Path: Beat LSG → reach 15 pts. Only RR (if they beat MI) can surpass 15. KKR could match 15 if they win both remaining games — then NRR would decide. If PBKS lose to LSG, they stay on 13 and need RR to lose, CSK to lose, KKR to lose at least one, and DC to lose — a narrow path. “PBKS are treading a fine line. They have lost five straight games.”[reference:10]
🟣 KKR — Kolkata Knight Riders (11 pts, NRR -0.038)
Remaining: vs MI (May 20), vs DC (May 24). Path: Win both → reach 15 pts. Then need PBKS to lose and RR to lose to MI. If RR also reach 16, KKR are out regardless. “KKR’s chances of making the last four singly or jointly are now at 20.3% and if they do tie for the last slot it will be with PBKS.”[reference:11]
💛 CSK — Chennai Super Kings (12 pts, NRR -0.016)
Remaining: vs GT (May 21). Path: Beat GT → reach 14 pts. Then need RR to lose to MI, PBKS to lose to LSG, KKR to lose at least one, DC to lose to KKR. NRR would be decisive. “CSK’s defeat to SRH has left them needing the most improbable combination of results.”[reference:12] “CSK’s best case scenario after Monday’s loss are tied fourth with RR or DC or both and even that is only a 14.1% chance.”[reference:13]
🔵 DC — Delhi Capitals (12 pts, NRR -0.871)
Remaining: vs KKR (May 24). Path: Beat KKR → reach 14 pts. Then need PBKS to lose to LSG, RR to lose to MI, CSK to lose to GT, and KKR to have lost to MI (before beating them). NRR of -0.871 is a crippling handicap in any tie. “DC’s best case is sole fourth (3.1%).”[reference:14]
Playing XIs & Impact Sub Notes
Yashasvi Jaiswal (c), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan‑dre Pretorius, Dasun Shanaka, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja, Adam Milne.
Captain: Yashasvi Jaiswal (stand‑in; Parag & Jadeja injured). Impact Sub: Sandeep Sharma (unused due to niggle).
Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Himmat Singh, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, Mohsin Khan, Digvesh Rathi.
Impact Sub: Mayank Yadav (replaced Inglis). LSG are officially eliminated with their 9th loss in 13 matches.
