Chris Gayle has praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the Rajasthan Royals opener broke his long-standing IPL sixes record during the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The former West Indies captain called the 15-year-old cricketer a “new six machine” after his explosive 97 off 29 balls in Mullanpur.
“What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man! New six machine,” Gayle wrote on social media.
Sooryavanshi smashed 12 sixes and five fours at a strike rate of 334.48, powering Rajasthan Royals to 243/8. His six-hitting display took his IPL 2026 tally to 65 maximums, the most by any batter in a single IPL season and also the highest in any T20 tournament.
He surpassed Gayle’s record of 59 sixes from the 2012 IPL season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Sooryavanshi reached the mark in 266 balls, while Gayle’s tally came from 456 deliveries.
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The teenager also narrowly missed the fastest IPL century, falling three runs short. After the match, he said he was not aware of the record while batting.
“I got to know after the game,” he said at the post-match presentation. “My focus was on hitting a six. I will score centuries in the future but the focus was on getting maximum runs for the team.”
Sooryavanshi also explained the attacking mindset behind his success.
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“I try to analyse how to face the bowlers and judge the length of the boundaries. When I am showing good intent, the bowler is under pressure,” he added. “We have won so we will celebrate and then focus on the next game. I just try to play my natural game.”
Rajasthan Royals went on to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs, bowling them out for 196 in 19.2 overs, with Jofra Archer playing a key role with the ball.
The win took Rajasthan Royals into Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans, but the spotlight remained on Sooryavanshi after his record-breaking innings drew praise from the “Universe Boss” Gayle.
