India, April 25 -- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned Rajasthan Royals' innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad into another statement of intent, smashing a 37-ball 103 and moving into the Orange Cap lead during a night that confirmed his growing authority over IPL 2026.

The teenage opener framed the innings not as a wild assault, but as the result of a clear pre-match plan: play freely, trust the surface, and back his scoring options. Speaking during a mid-match interaction on JioHotstar, Sooryavanshi said Rajasthan had entered the game with the intention of removing hesitation from their batting.

"I don't have a plan for a first-ball six," Sooryavanshi said. "Before the match, we planned to play freely. To back our game. I thought the wicket was...