West Indies cricket icon Chris Gayle has showered immense praise on India and Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old batting sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, following his breathtaking performance in the Indian Premier League eliminator. The teenager played a spectacular 29-ball 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, a knock that saw him surpass the legendary West Indian for the most sixes hit in a single IPL edition.

Taking to Instagram to celebrate the young left-hander’s achievements, Gayle declared Sooryavanshi as cricket’s “new six machine”. The legendary batsman also offered words of encouragement to the youngster, who narrowly missed out on breaking Gayle’s record for the fastest-ever IPL century. Gayle noted that while the 15-year-old was unfortunate to miss the milestone, he will “get there eventually”.

Dismantling long-standing T20 records

During his explosive innings, Sooryavanshi struck 5 fours and 12 sixes, operating at an astonishing strike rate of over 334. This masterclass propelled his tournament sixes tally to 65, eclipsing Gayle’s previous record of 59 sixes established during the 2012 IPL season. Consequently, Sooryavanshi now holds the record for the most sixes smashed by any batsman in a single T20 tournament.

The teenage opener has now equaled Gayle’s record for hitting 10 or more sixes in an IPL innings on four occasions. Strikingly, three of those instances have occurred in the current season, making him the first player in tournament history to achieve this feat three times in one year. His 12 maximums against Sunrisers Hyderabad also stand as the highest number of sixes smashed by an individual in an IPL knockout match, as well as the highest by any Indian batter in a single IPL innings.

Dominating the powerplay and rewriting history

The young prodigy has consistently taken apart world-class bowling attacks this season. During the playoff match, he cleared the boundary eight times during the powerplay, surpassing Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya’s record of seven powerplay sixes set back in 2008.

Sooryavanshi has accumulated 490 runs purely within the powerplay overs this season, overtaking Australian veteran David Warner’s 2016 tally of 467 runs. Furthermore, his blazing 16-ball half-century has tied him for the joint-fastest fifty scored in an IPL knockout match.

In his 15 tournament innings, the uncapped left-hander has amassed 680 runs at an average of 45.33 and a staggering strike rate of 242.85. He has crossed the 600-run milestone as the youngest player to do so in tournament history, breaking the previous record for an uncapped player held by his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal. According to advanced cricketing data, Sooryavanshi has accumulated 88.9 percent of his total runs this season solely through boundaries, outperforming previous high-impact campaigns like Andre Russell’s 2019 season. He also stands as the first player in T20 cricket history to cross 600 runs in a single tournament while maintaining a strike rate above 200.

Playoff race intensifies

Supported by a rapid 21-ball 50 from Dhruv Jurel, Sooryavanshi’s spectacular knock powered Rajasthan Royals to a massive total of 243 for 8. In response, Sunrisers Hyderabad struggled early on, losing four wickets during the powerplay despite a quickfire 33 from Ishan Kishan.

An impressive bowling display led by Archer and Burger restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 196 runs, sealing their exit from the competition. Rajasthan Royals will now progress to meet Gujarat Titans in the second qualifier, with the winners earning a spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Fifteen-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has etched his name into cricket history by breaking Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the maximum number of sixes hit in a single edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing for Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the high-stakes IPL 2026 Eliminator at New Chandigarh, the young opener cleared the ropes multiple times to surpass the Jamaican legend’s 14-year-old milestone.

Before this fixture, Gayle held the all-time record with 59 sixes during the 2012 IPL season. Sooryavanshi shattered that tally during his explosive innings, taking his total count past the milestone. Acknowledging the feat, the giant screen at the stadium proudly labeled the teenager as the “Universe Baby Boss,” playing on Gayle’s famous moniker, the “Universe Boss”.

Blistering knock rewrites playoff record books

The young left-hander launched a relentless assault on the opposition bowling unit, bringing up his half-century in just 16 deliveries. This blistering effort equaled Suresh Raina’s 2014 feat for the joint-fastest half-century scored in the history of IPL knockouts or playoffs.

Sooryavanshi was eventually dismissed for a phenomenal 97 runs off just 29 balls, a knock laced with 5 boundaries and 12 massive sixes. His explosive performance came agonizingly close to breaking another iconic T20 record held by Gayle—the fastest-ever IPL century, which was scored off 30 deliveries against Pune Warriors India back in 2013. The youngster fell just three runs short of a historic hundred.

Rising star targets national call-up

During his initial powerplay blitz, the opener set a new benchmark by smashing 8 sixes in the opening six overs, overtaking previous records held by legendary hitters like Sanath Jayasuriya and Jos Buttler, who had both managed 7 sixes in the powerplay phase of an IPL innings.

With nearly 600 runs accumulated over the course of the ongoing season, the clamour to fast-track the prodigy into the senior national men’s setup has intensified significantly among fans and pundits alike. Media reports indicate that the teenager is already lined up to feature for the India-A team in an upcoming tri-series scheduled in Sri Lanka next month.

Commenting on the meteoric rise of the young batsman, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal labeled him a “special talent,” emphasizing that continuous mentorship from the board and his franchise would ensure his upward trajectory remains secure.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) created history in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans (GT), sealing their spot in a second consecutive final with a clinical 92-run victory on Tuesday.

Riding on captain Rajat Patidar’s blistering, unbeaten 93 off just 33 balls, Bengaluru piled up a colossal 254 for 5 in their 20 overs after being asked to bat first at the scenic Dharamsala stadium. The monumental total surpassed the previous playoff benchmark of 233 for 3, set by GT against Mumbai Indians in 2023, making it the highest-ever score in IPL playoff history. In response, a ruthless RCB bowling assault dismantled the Gujarat Titans batting line-up, bowling them out for 162 in 19.3 overs.

Patidar blitzkrieg anchors historic RCB innings

After GT skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field, RCB’s top order asserted early dominance by racing to 76 for 1 within the powerplay. Venkatesh Iyer provided a quickfire 19 off seven balls, while Devdutt Padikkal struck 30 off 19 deliveries to set a brisk tempo.

The foundation allowed Virat Kohli to maintain the middle-order momentum with a fluent 43 off 25 balls. With this knock, Kohli carved out another historic milestone, becoming the first player in IPL history to accumulate over 600 runs in four consecutive seasons. Jason Holder briefly checked RCB’s charge by removing both Kohli and Padikkal in the 10th over to leave them at 99 for 3.

However, skipper Rajat Patidar took complete control from there on. Surviving two dropped catches early on, Patidar launched a brutal counter-attack, smashing five fours and nine towering sixes at an astonishing strike rate of 281.81. He combined forces with Krunal Pandya, who played a crucial anchoring role with 43 off 28 balls, putting together a blistering 90-run partnership. Patidar turned particularly merciless in the death overs, hammering a massive over from Kulwant Khejroliya as RCB finished their death overs on an absolute high.

Gujarat Titans collapse under scoreboard pressure

Faced with a steep mountain to climb, the Gujarat Titans chase imploded right from the start, losing five wickets inside the powerplay against a lethal pace battery. Openers Sai Sudharsan and skipper Shubman Gill were dismissed in the third and fourth overs respectively.

Sudharsan, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, suffered a bizarre and unfortunate dismissal when his bat slipped during a cut shot, knocking back his own stumps to be out hit-wicket off Jacob Duffy. Gill followed shortly after, cleaned up by an excellent delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Jos Buttler offered a brief, aggressive resistance by hitting four boundaries and two sixes in a quick 29, but Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood exacted quick revenge by clean-bowling him in the fifth over. From a precarious position, the Titans slipped further as Jacob Duffy tore through the middle order, dismissing Washington Sundar and Rashid Khan.

Rahul Tewatia was the lone warrior for the Titans, waging a solitary battle to smash a fighting 68. His aggressive hitting brought up the team’s hundred in the 13th over and dragged the side past the 150-mark. However, the target proved far too distant. Krunal Pandya claimed the final wicket in the final over, dismissing GT’s tailender Mohammed Siraj—who was caught by Tim David—to bundle out GT for 162, securing the second-largest victory margin in IPL playoff history for RCB.

While RCB marches straight into the grand finale with ultimate momentum, Gujarat Titans remain alive in the tournament. They will get another opportunity to reach the final when they play the winner of the Eliminator clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2.