Young Sooryavanshi hits 15-ball fifty as Rajasthan thumps Chennai

Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, India. (AP)

GUWAHATI, India, March 31 (AP): Young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a 15-ball half-century as Rajasthan Royals thrashed Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in the Indian Premier League.

On a pitch which was under covers for most of the last two days due to wet weather, Chennai was put in and crumbled to 127 all out in 19.4 overs. All six Rajasthan bowlers shared the wickets.

The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi was dropped on the first ball he faced, then powered the chase with 52 off 17 balls - raising the third fastest fifty in the IPL - as Rajasthan cruised to 128-2 in only 12.1 overs.

Five-time champion Chennai has undergone a youth movement in order to make a long-term rebound from finishing in last place last year. But it made an inauspicious start thanks to the youngest player in the league.

Sooryavanshi's miscued pull shot against Matt Henry in the first over was dropped by debutant Kartik Sharma, a tough two-handed catch over his shoulders while running backward from midwicket. Sharma failed to chase the ball, and it dribbled over the boundary, the first of Sooryavanshi's four boundaries plus five sixes.

Sooryavanshi gave Rajasthan a blazing start of 74-0 in the power play. He clobbered wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad for successive sixes and raised his half-century off just 15 balls before he holed out to Sarfaraz Khan at sweeper cover in the seventh over.