15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to rewrite T20 cricket history after a breathtaking 29-ball 97 for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, earning massive praise from West Indies legend Chris Gayle.
Gayle, widely regarded as one of the greatest T20 batters of all time, applauded the youngster on social media after Sooryavanshi narrowly missed breaking his record for the fastest IPL century. Gayle currently holds the record with a 30-ball hundred scored in 2013, while the teenage prodigy fell just three runs short after being dismissed on 97 from only 29 deliveries.
Calling him a “new six machine,” Gayle praised the fearless approach and predicted an even bigger future ahead for the young Indian opener.
Sooryavanshi’s knock included five boundaries and a staggering 12 sixes at a strike rate above 334, helping Rajasthan Royals post a massive total against Hyderabad in the knockout clash.
The innings also saw him surpass Gayle’s long-standing IPL record for most sixes in a single season. The youngster now has 65 sixes in IPL 2026, overtaking Gayle’s previous mark of 59 sixes set during the 2012 season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
His season numbers are extraordinary:
- 680 runs in 15 innings
- Average of 45.33
- Strike rate of 242.85
- One century and four fifties
- 55 fours and 65 sixes
Cricket analysts have described his season as one of the most explosive batting campaigns ever seen in T20 cricket.
The teenager has already matched several elite records:
- Joint-most IPL innings with 10 or more sixes alongside Gayle
- Most powerplay runs in a single IPL season
- Most sixes in an IPL playoff innings by an Indian batter
- Youngest player ever to cross 600 runs in an IPL season
Former legends including Sanath Jayasuriya, David Warner, Suresh Raina and Adam Gilchrist have all seen long-standing records challenged or surpassed by the young batter this season.
Despite Sooryavanshi’s sensational innings, Rajasthan Royals still face a difficult path to the title and are set to meet Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 for a place in the final against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Many cricket observers are already calling Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the next global superstar of T20 cricket, with comparisons being drawn to some of the game’s biggest power hitters.