Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has struck 53 sixes in IPL 2026, the second-highest tally by any batter in a single T20 tournament. The record remains with Chris Gayle, who hit 59 sixes during the 2012 IPL season.
Sooryavanshi has also recorded three instances of hitting ten or more sixes in an IPL innings. He is now just behind Gayle, who has achieved the feat four times. Sooryavanshi has cleared the boundary ten or more times in an innings twice in 2026. The only other batter to register multiple such innings in one IPL season is Finn Allen, also in 2026.
Rajasthan Royals have hit 60 sixes in the first six overs this season, the most by any team in that phase of an IPL edition. They went past Sunrisers Hyderabad’s tally of 59 from 2024. Sooryavanshi alone has contributed 37 of those sixes, while no other batter has even reached 30 sixes inside the first six overs in one edition.
RR chased down a target of 221 against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur on Tuesday. It was the fourth time Rajasthan Royals successfully chased a 220-plus target in the IPL, the most by any team. They moved ahead of Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have three such chases each.
Rajasthan Royals are also the first team in T20 cricket to complete four successful chases of 220-plus targets. Bulgaria, England, Middlesex and Mumbai have managed three successful 220-plus chases each.
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Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel have shared three partnerships of 100-plus runs this year. They are the first RR pair to produce three century stands in a single IPL season. Overall, only Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson have also put together three 100-plus partnerships for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
Jaipur has seen seven 220-plus totals in eight innings this IPL. Before 2026, no IPL team had made a 220-plus total at the venue, with the previous highest being 219 for 5 against RR in 2025.
Wankhede has hosted eight 220-plus totals in IPL 2026, the most at any ground in a T20 tournament. Jaipur is second on that list, level with Rawalpindi from PSL 2023.
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Mitchell Marsh has now been run out in the 90s in successive innings. He is only the second man to be run out twice in the 90s in T20 cricket, after Gayle.
With Sooryavanshi making 93 in the chase, Tuesday’s match became only the second IPL game in which two batters were dismissed in the 90s. The first came in the 2013 season between CSK and KKR at Chepauk, when Michael Hussey was dismissed for 95 and Mavinder Bisla scored 92.
Sooryavanshi has a strike rate of 16.67 against Mohsin Khan in IPL 2026, having scored only two runs from 12 balls while being dismissed twice. Against all other LSG bowlers this season, he has made 99 runs from 37 deliveries at a strike rate of 267.57.
LSG’s 83 for 0 in the powerplay against RR was the fourth time in their last five matches that they crossed 80 runs in the first six overs. Before this run, they had done it only once in the IPL, when they scored 80 for 1 against CSK in 2023.
‘Gayle’s Record Is Definitely in Danger’ – Irfan Pathan Backs Sooryavanshi
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes Rajasthan Royals batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can break Chris Gayle’s long-standing IPL record for the most sixes in a single season.
After RR beat Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets, Pathan praised the youngster’s ability to score all around the ground.
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“This was unbelievable,” he said. “The maturity he showed was the highlight for me. We always say, whenever we watch Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, that he’s a very good leg-side player. The way he played on the off-side in this game was outstanding. He has great control over his back-lift. He was playing over covers and even played an upper-cut over third man. It is very difficult to stop him.”
The 15-year-old has hit 53 sixes for Royals this season, the second-highest total in IPL history behind Gayle, who smashed 59 sixes for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2012. Sooryavanshi still has one league match remaining and could overtake the record. He has scored 579 runs from 13 matches at an average of 44.53 and a strike rate of 236.32 this season.
Pathan further added: “In his first 10 balls, he was batting at a strike-rate of less than 100, and by the end of the innings, he had scored 93 runs off just 38 balls. With 53 sixes, he is actually going after Chris Gayle’s record of 59 sixes, which has stood since 2012. As bowlers, we were always scared of facing Chris Gayle. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is creating that same fear, and Gayle’s record is definitely in danger.”
Rajasthan Royals will play their final league match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on May 24.
