Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned the IPL 2026 Eliminator into his personal stage with an innings that stunned players, fans and commentators alike. At just 15 years old, the Rajasthan Royals opener produced one of the most destructive knocks ever seen in the IPL, dismantling Sunrisers Hyderabad with fearless strokeplay from the very beginning.
Nothing about the innings looked cautious. Sooryavanshi attacked almost every bowler he faced and never allowed Hyderabad to settle into any rhythm. Length balls disappeared into the stands, short deliveries were pulled with authority and even yorkers failed to slow him down. The southpaw played with remarkable freedom despite the pressure of a knockout game.
Notably, the boundaries came at an extraordinary rate. Sixes flowed repeatedly as Hyderabad’s bowling plans collapsed one after another. Field changes made little difference, bowling variations had no impact and even experienced international bowlers appeared unsure about where to deliver the next ball. By the time the innings gathered full momentum, the contest had tilted completely in Rajasthan’s favour.
Sooryavanshi raced to his half-century in just 16 deliveries, reaching the milestone with another towering six. The innings quickly entered record territory as he surpassed Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for most sixes in a single IPL season.
The teenager eventually smashed 12 sixes during his stay at the crease and looked set to rewrite another major IPL record. A century seemed inevitable as he moved into the nineties at breathtaking speed. However, the innings ended on 97 off only 29 deliveries, leaving him heartbreakingly short of both a hundred and Gayle’s fastest IPL century mark.
Even in disappointment, the knock secured another historic achievement. Sooryavanshi crossed 680 runs for the season, becoming the uncapped batter with the most runs in a single IPL edition. The previous record belonged to his Rajasthan teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Following the monstrous innings, the fans on the internet have asked for his call-up in the national team as they believe that the 15-year-old is ready and the Indian team should capitalise on his form, rather than playing the wait-and-watch game.
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