In the IPL 2026 Eliminator, 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played a stunning 97 off 29 balls against SRH, shattering Chris Gayle’s 14-year-old record for most sixes in a single IPL season with 65. Born just a year before Gayle set the record, Sooryavanshi’s innings powered RR to a 47-run victory.
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) batting sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, had yet another record-breaking outing in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Wednesday, May 27.
Sooryavanshi played a blistering knock of 97 off 29 balls, including 12 sixes and 5 fours, at an astonishing strike rate of 334.48, to help RR post a solid total of 243/8 in 20 overs, which was eventually defended by the bowlers, bundling out the SRH for .196 in 19.2 overs, securing a 47-run victory and advancing to the Qualifier 2, where they will face the Gujarat Titans.
The 15-year-old unleashed a carnage in such a way that the SRH bowlers were left shell-shocked, struggling to contain his onslaught as he cleared the ropes with ease. Sooryavanshi already smashed 60 runs in the powerplay overs, setting a blistering tempo that the Sunrisers Hyderabad's attack never truly recovered from.
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Sooryavanshi Shatters 14-Year IPL Record
During his blistering 97-run knock, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shattered multiple records, but one stood out above the rest, which fans and cricket enthusiasts were eagerly awaiting the moment, surpassing Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL season. In IPL 2012, Gayle smashed 59 sixes, the record which remained unbeaten for 14 years until Sooryavanshi broke it during this Eliminator match.
Sooryavanshi entered his first IPL Playoff match with 53 sixes and smashed seven maximums to overtake the former West Indies’ flamboyant batter’s all-time record before hitting another five more to extend his historic tally to 65. The 15-year-old became the first batter to smash 60 or more sixes in a single IPL season.
It is such a staggering feat that Sooryavanshi was just one year old when Chris Gayle first set that legendary record back in 2012. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was born on March 27, 2011, the year when IPL was just entering its fourth edition, highlighting just how long Gayle’s mark had stood before being dismantled by this teenage prodigy.
At just the age of 15, Sooryavanshi, the Rajasthan Royals sensation, has not only surpassed that 14-year-old milestone but has officially rewritten the history books, cementing his status as the new face of power-hitting in the IPL.
The difference between his age (15) and the number of years Chris Gayle held the record (14) is only one year, a testament to how this young star has arrived on the scene exactly when the record was primed to be broken.
Destined to Break the "Universe Boss" Benchmark
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shattering Chris Gayle’s 14-year-old IPL record for the most sixes in a single season is a moment that feels almost written in the stars. From a 1-year-old toddler witnessing the dawn of the ‘Universe Boss’ era in 2012 to becoming the record-breaker himself in 2026, Sooryavanshi’s journey represents the ultimate full-circle moment in cricket.
The social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), was left quite surprised by the fact that the record stood for so long that a child, who was merely a toddler when it was set, could grow up to dismantle it.
The fans and cricket enthusiasts were amazed by Sooryavanshi’s feat, calling his innings ‘pure cinema’, marveling at how a player who was just a toddler when Gayle set the record 14 years ago had now rewritten IPL history at only 15. Others hailed him as the ‘New Universe Boss’, praising his effortless power-hitting and composure at just 15.
Meanwhile, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has reclaimed the top spot in the Orange Cap race with 680 runs, including a century and four fifties, at an average of 45.33 and a strike rate of 242.85 in 15 matches. He will return to action when the Rajasthan Royals take on the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 in Mullanpur on Friday, May 29.
Also Read: IPL 2026: 'He doesn't miss' - Pat Cummins lauds Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
