After his astonishing innings in the Eliminator, the biggest question ahead of Qualifier 2 is simple: can Vaibhav Sooryavanshi do it again?

At just 15 years of age, in his very first IPL playoff appearance, Vaibhav produced one of the most extraordinary knocks the tournament has ever seen. Rajasthan Royals may have beaten Sunrisers Hyderabad as a team, but in truth, it was Vaibhav’s stunning assault that dragged them into the contest and ultimately set up victory.

With all due respect to Jofra Archer – whose fiery opening spell removed three SRH batters inside the powerplay – the defining performance of the night belonged to the teenage sensation. Vaibhav smashed 97 off just 29 deliveries, hammering 12 sixes at an absurd strike-rate of 334. It was not merely an innings; it was a complete dismantling of Pat Cummins’ plans, field settings and bowling changes.

What made the knock even more special was the surface on which it came. This was not a flat batting paradise where every stroke flew off the middle. Several experienced, established and internationally accomplished batters struggled badly on the same pitch. Vaibhav, meanwhile, played with a freedom and authority that seemed almost impossible for someone his age.

Now comes the next challenge: Gujarat Titans.

On paper, GT possess a significantly stronger bowling attack than Sunrisers Hyderabad. Yet there is vulnerability there too. In Qualifier 1, Royal Challengers Bengaluru tore through that same attack in Dharamsala, with Rajat Patidar and company exposing flaws that Gujarat will desperately hope to correct before facing Rajasthan.

And that is why this contest may ultimately come down to one defining battle: Vaibhav versus Gujarat’s bowlers.

The remarkable thing is that Rajasthan Royals have reached this stage at all. Strip away Sooryavanshi, Archer and Dhruv Jurel, and this looks far from a complete side. Much of RR’s campaign now rests on those three players repeatedly producing moments of brilliance under pressure.

For Gujarat, the equation is straightforward. Remove Sooryavanshi early, contain Jurel, and avoid gifting Archer wickets with the new ball, and the game tilts heavily in their favour.

The problem, however, is obvious. Right now, nobody seems to have an answer to T20 cricket’s most explosive young batter.