Suryavanshi Mania Grips Jaipur as Royals Hold On to Faint Playoff Hopes
A delightful sight awaited the few Rajasthan Royals fans who gathered at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday evening skipper Sanju Samson enjoying a light-hearted game of foot volleyball with his teammates. While his side lost the pre-nets warm-up 7-1, the bigger takeaway was Samson’s return to the nets after a brief injury layoff due to a side strain.
But it wasn't the returning captain who stole the spotlight. Instead, it was 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the Royals’ breakout star and Samson’s temporary replacement, who drew cheers, selfie requests, and autograph demands during his catching drills near the boundary ropes.
Suryavanshi’s record-breaking century under the Jaipur floodlights a few days ago has turned him into the new darling of Indian cricket. His performance not only helped the Royals to a rare win in a troubled campaign but also injected a sense of belief in a side still clinging to mathematical chances of making the playoffs.
With only one win in their last six matches, Royals are well aware they could have secured four victories had small moments gone their way. Now, they face the red-hot Mumbai Indians, who are riding a five-match winning streak. The odds are stacked, but the mood is different there's renewed optimism.
Whether or not Samson takes the field against Mumbai, the Royals’ momentum now hinges on the precocious talent of Suryavanshi. His fearless batting has already given world-class attacks something to think about, and now, it’s Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult who may need to dig deep into their playbooks to figure out how to stop a teenager who's taken the league by storm.
With the playoffs still a distant dream, the Royals are, at the very least, ending their season with hope and a fresh face who's already rewriting the script.
