Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has taken this edition of the IPL by storm and he is breaking records for fun. The eliminator game between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday turned out to be a Sooryavanshi special as he blasted 97 off 29 balls, and power his team to Qualifier 2.
The knock saw the 15-year-old smash 12 sixes, which saw him break Chris Gayle’s record of most sixes in a single edition of the IPL. Sooryavanshi surpassed Gayle’s 59 sixes struck in the 2012 edition, with the teenage batting prodigy having now hit 65 sixes in this season so far.
He was on the verge of breaking another long-standing IPL record, the fastest century, which belongs to Gayle. The ‘Universe Boss’ had notched up a century off 30 balls, while Sooryavanshi was dismissed on 97 off 29 balls. Sooryavanshi was also not aware of this milestone which he was so close to surpass.
“I got to know after the game,” Sooryavanshi said at the post-match presentation when asked about missing the record of fastest IPL hundred.
“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.”
Gayle too put out a post on X, calling Sooryavanshi a phenomenal player. Fans and experts see him as a successor to Gayle and have given him the nickname of “Universe Baby Boss”, and rightly so, looking at how he has dominated the world-class bowlers in the tournament.
“What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man! New Six machine,”
Gayle wrote on X.
Sooryavanshi made an instant impact when he made debut in the IPL last year, grabbing spotlight with a sensational 35-ball century. It was a knock that announced his arrival on the big stage.
However, the 15-year-old has taken his game to another level this season. Sooryavanshi is currently leading the Orange Cap race with 680 runs from 15 matches. He has scored at an average of 45.33 and an incredible strike rate of 242.85.
Rajasthan Royals are depending heavily on their teenage star as they chase a second IPL title. His form could once again play a huge role when RR take on Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.
