Universe boss Chris Gayle has handed Indian teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the ultimate seal of approval after the Rajasthan Royals opener shattered his iconic IPL six-hitting record in sensational fashion during the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Gayle, one of the greatest power-hitters in T20 history, hailed the 15-year-old as cricket’s “new six machine” after Sooryavanshi produced a breathtaking 97 off just 29 balls in Mullanpur on Wednesday. The RR youngster smashed 12 towering sixes and five fours at an astonishing strike rate of 334.48, leaving the cricket world stunned.
“What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man! New Six machine,” Gayle wrote on social media after the match.
Sooryavanshi’s assault not only powered Rajasthan Royals to a massive 243 for 8, but also saw him rewrite IPL history. His 12 sixes against Sunrisers Hyderabad took his tally to 65 maximums in IPL 2026, the most by any batter in a single IPL season and also the highest in any T20 tournament.
In the process, he eclipsed Gayle’s long-standing record of 59 sixes set during his legendary 2012 IPL campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. What made the feat even more remarkable was the pace at which the teenager achieved it. Gayle had taken 456 deliveries to reach his tally, while Sooryavanshi needed only 266 balls.
The 15-year-old came agonisingly close to another historic feat as well. He fell just three runs short of what would have been the fastest century in IPL history, but Sooryavanshi later admitted he had no idea about the milestone during his explosive innings.
“I got to know after the game,” he said at the post-match presentation when asked about narrowly missing the record.
“My focus was on hitting a six. I will score centuries in future but the focus was on getting maximum runs for the team. I just work on my plan and if there are any shortcomings, I just try to work on that.”
Sooryavanshi also spoke about the fearless approach that has made him the breakout star of IPL 2026.
“I try to just analyse how to face the bowlers, judge the length of the boundaries. When I am showing good intent, the bowler is under pressure,” he said.
“We have won so we will celebrate and try and do well in the next game. I don’t think much about the bowlers, try to just play my game.”
Rajasthan Royals eventually defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs after bowling them out for 196 in 19.2 overs, with Jofra Archer starring with the ball. The victory sealed RR’s place in Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans, but the night belonged to Sooryavanshi, whose extraordinary power-hitting earned praise from the original ‘Universe Boss’ himself.
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