Jaipur, May 19 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals (RR) pulled off a sensational chase at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday, overhauling the 221-run target set by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with five balls to spare, riding on opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 93 and a composed yet explosive 53 not out from Dhruv Jurel in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 in Jaipur.

In a match that swung between brute force and calculated composure, RR’s batters dismantled LSG’s attack and ensured there were no late stumbles as they jumped to fourth place in the points table, thereby keeping themselves alive in the playoff race.

Chasing 221, RR began in ruthless fashion. Yashasvi Jaiswal set the tone immediately, carving and pulling Akash Singh for a string of boundaries in a 23-run opening over that set the tone for a powerplay dominated by the hosts.

The introduction of pace only fueled the aggression, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, playing yet another fearless knock, joining the assault with clean hitting over cover and mid-wicket, as RR raced to 84/1 in the first eight overs.

Jaiswal’s 43 off 23 balls ended when he edged Akash Maharaj Singh to Rishabh Pant, but by then the damage had been done. Sooryavanshi, despite a cautious start, dominated the middle overs, bringing up yet another rapid fifty in a season already defined by record-breaking strike rates. His innings of 93 off 38 balls, laced with 10 sixes, briefly placed RR in cruise control before Mohsin Khan dismissed him against the run of play.

Even as LSG attempted to claw back through disciplined spells from Digvesh Singh Rathi and Mohsin, Jurel anchored the chase with remarkable calmness. He rotated strike intelligently, punished loose deliveries, and ensured the required rate never spiralled out of control. His partnership-building with Lhuan-dre Pretorius and later Donovan Ferreira steadied RR after brief hiccups.

The match, however, was far from straightforward. LSG struck at crucial moments, Sooryavanshi fell just short of a century, while a dramatic 16th over saw a sharp run-out of Pretorius, injecting late tension into the chase.

Yet RR’s depth and composure held firm. With 33 needed off the last five overs, Jurel took charge, guiding RR through the final phase with controlled aggression. Ferreira provided a brief but vital hand before setting the stage for a composed finish.

The decisive moment arrived in the 19th over. With RR needing just two off the final delivery, Donovan Ferreira stepped out to Shahbaz Ahmed and launched a clean, authoritative six over long-off to seal the chase emphatically.

LSG’s bowling effort was undermined by inconsistency, with Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav showing flashes but lacking sustained control. Mohsin Khan (1/24) and Digvesh Singh Rathi offered resistance, but the total proved too small to defend against RR’s relentless top order.

Brief scores:

Lucknow Super Giants 220/5 in 20 overs (Mitchell Marsh 96, Josh Inglis 60; Yash Raj Punja 2-35, Jofra Archer 1-39) lost to Rajasthan Royals 225/3 in 19.1 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 93, Dhruv Jurel 53, Yashasvi Jaiswal 43; Mohsin Khan 1-31) by 7 wickets.

–IANS

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