Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old batsman for Rajasthan Royals, sent shockwaves through the 2026 Indian Premier League with a stunning 97 runs off just 29 balls in the eliminator clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The 47-run victory kept Rajasthan's hopes alive for a final berth.
Sooryavanshi shattered Chris Gayle's long-standing record of 59 sixes in a single IPL season (set in 2012), hitting 65 sixes this campaign. He also leads the season's scoring charts with 680 runs at a staggering strike rate of 242.85.
Hyderabad's assistant coach James Franklin described the teen as “frightening.” “I've never seen a talent like this. It's bizarre what he's doing. Knowing he probably has 25 years of career ahead is terrifying,” Franklin told reporters. “He will only get better, stronger and more mature in his hitting. At the moment, it's simply destructive.”
Sooryavanshi smashed 12 sixes during his innings, including three consecutive maximums off Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins. Though he narrowly missed the fastest-ever IPL century (falling three runs short of Gayle's 30-ball feat), he expressed disappointment after being caught out by Smaran Ravichandran on a deep cut.
“I thought about it (the century) after I got out. I was just focused on contributing as much as possible,” Sooryavanshi said post-match, earning the player of the match award. “Hundreds will come, but the goal is to win the trophy.”
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar analyzed Sooryavanshi's technique on social media, calling the innings “magnificent!” Former England captain Michael Vaughan urged India to call him up to the national side: “He is the best T20 batsman in the world. India must select him.”
Cricket writer Bharat Sundaresan described the performance as “generation-defining.” “Eight sixes in the first four overs? What are we watching? It's beyond belief.”
Sooryavanshi, who last year hit a six off his first IPL ball at age 14 and became the youngest player to score a T20 century, is now the brightest talent of the season. Rajasthan will face Gujarat Titans in the second qualifier; the winner advances to the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
