Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has rewritten the IPL record books, blasting his way to 65 sixes in the 2026 season to break Chris Gayle’s 14-year-old record for the most sixes in a single IPL campaign. The Rajasthan Royals opener hit his milestone 60th six against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday night in New Chandigarh during the high-stakes Eliminator – and he didn’t stop there, finishing with a jaw-dropping 12 sixes in his 29-ball 97.
The previous record, held by West Indies legend Chris Gayle, stood at 59 sixes from the 2012 season. Sooryavanshi not only surpassed this mark, but did so in astonishing style – needing just 266 balls across 15 innings, compared to Gayle’s 456 deliveries. That’s a strike rate of 242.85 for Sooryavanshi, who has now racked up 680 runs this season, leaving even the most seasoned IPL stars in awe.
Blistering Batting in a High-Pressure Playoff
Sooryavanshi’s innings against SRH was nothing short of spectacular. He reached his half-century in just 16 balls – matching the record for the fastest fifty in IPL playoffs, previously set by Suresh Raina in 2014. His 12 sixes on Wednesday equaled his own record for the most by an Indian in a single IPL innings, a feat he originally set earlier this season, also against Hyderabad.
The teenage sensation’s power-hitting included three consecutive sixes off Australia’s Pat Cummins and a stunning sequence of boundaries off seven balls in a row. He fell agonizingly short of a playoff century, caught trying to break the fastest IPL hundred mark with just three runs to go.
Royals Secure Big Win, SRH Fall Short
After Sooryavanshi’s fireworks, Rajasthan Royals posted a formidable 243-8. Sunrisers Hyderabad, in reply, were bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, thanks in part to Jofra Archer’s 3-58, including the early wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (33), and Travis Head (17). The Royals, who haven’t lifted the IPL trophy since their inaugural triumph in 2008, clinched the Eliminator by a convincing 47 runs.
Sooryavanshi, who made headlines last year by hitting a six off his very first IPL ball at age 14, now stands alone as the most prolific six-hitter in a single T20 tournament. If this season is any indication, the world may be witnessing the rise of one of cricket’s next greats.
