Jaipur, May 20 (IANS) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi revealed that the special hand gesture he made after reaching his half-century during Rajasthan Royals’ thrilling seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants was dedicated to his mother, saying the emotional celebration was personal because her name starts with the letter “A”.

The young opener played one of the finest knocks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, smashing a breathtaking 93 off just 38 balls to power RR to a stunning chase of 221 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. His innings, laced with 10 sixes, helped keep RR alive in the playoff race.

Speaking after the match, Sooryavanshi finally explained the meaning behind the now-viral celebration he made after completing his fifty. “I dedicated it to my mother. I didn’t want to tell everyone because this is personal. Actually, it was for her. Her name starts with A, so I made it,” he said in a video released by Rajasthan Royals on X.

The youngster also admitted that he felt pressure early in the chase after a slow start, but said advice from opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal helped him stay calm. “When I got 2-3 balls, I started feeling a bit of pressure. But Yashasvi Bhaiya said, ‘You play 10 overs. Till then, they will be on the back foot. You don’t take tension in the game. The score can be covered at any time,” Sooryavanshi said.

Despite his aggressive reputation, the left-hander looked unusually composed during the chase and said it was a conscious decision because of the importance of the match. “It was a very important game. It was a challenge for the team. I wanted to keep playing until the game was over. Otherwise, the game would have been over earlier. But I will try to finish the game next time as well with this mindset,” he said.

Sooryavanshi also revealed a conversation he had with RR coach Kumar Sangakkara before the chase, saying he could sense pressure in the dressing room after the team’s recent defeats. “We were not doing well in the last three matches. Even today, when the score was 220, I could see he was under tension. But I was confident that if I backed my game, it would be done,” he said.

Sooryavanshi also termed the knock as more valuable than even a century because of the context of the game and RR’s playoff situation. “It was a very special knock. I can say that it was more important than a hundred this season because this match was very crucial,” he added.

Earlier, Mitchell Marsh smashed 96 while Josh Inglis made 60 to help LSG post 220/5 in 20 overs. In reply, RR chased down the target in 19.1 overs with Dhruv Jurel remaining unbeaten on 53.

–IANS

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