Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Shatters Records with Explosive Performance Against SRH
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Remarkable Innings
In a thrilling eliminator match, Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar praised 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his extraordinary performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Tendulkar highlighted Sooryavanshi's impressive bat swing and his ability to effectively clear his front foot for leg-side deliveries, which allows him to hit sixes with ease.
Sooryavanshi delivered a stunning 29-ball innings, scoring 97 runs that included five fours and an astonishing 12 sixes, achieving a strike rate exceeding 334. This performance also enabled him to surpass the legendary Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes in a T20 tournament, bringing his total to 65 sixes in the current Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
On social media, Sachin expressed his admiration, stating, "Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's bat swing has been outstanding. What’s even more remarkable is how beautifully he clears his front foot to create room for balls aimed at his legs. This freedom allows him to play the way he does. That innings was nothing short of spectacular!"
Yuvraj Singh, India's World Cup-winning all-rounder, also commended Sooryavanshi, referring to him as the "Boss baby" for breaking Gayle's record. He tweeted, "Boss baby breaks world bosses record! Unbelievable this kid great to watch #unreal #VaibhavSooryavanshi #SRHvsRR @IPL".
Former cricketer Mohammed Kaif described Sooryavanshi as a "miracle, a future star," emphasizing the excitement surrounding his potential. He noted, "We are seeing a miracle, we are seeing a future star, we are seeing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the wonder boy. Jaw dropping sixes, breaks universal boss Chris Gayle's record of most sixes in his first full IPL season. And he’s just 15. The opposition players, owners and the entire cricket world applaud. Cricket has so much to look forward to."
Sooryavanshi has matched Gayle's record for the most instances of hitting 10 or more sixes in an IPL innings, achieving this feat four times, with three of those instances occurring this season. He is the first player to hit 10 or more sixes in three IPL innings within a single season.
The young talent has also surpassed Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya's record of seven powerplay sixes, hitting eight during a match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He currently holds the record for the most runs scored in the powerplay during an IPL season, totaling 490 runs, surpassing David Warner's previous record of 467 runs.
This marks Sooryavanshi's fifth fifty-plus score in the powerplay, with only Warner ahead of him with six. He has joined the ranks of Suresh Raina and Adam Gilchrist for fifty-plus scores made during powerplay in IPL knockout matches.
Sooryavanshi's 16-ball half-century ties with Raina's record for the fastest fifty in an IPL knockout match. His 12 sixes in a single innings are the most ever recorded in IPL knockouts, surpassing Shubman Gill's previous record of 10.
With his 97 runs, Sooryavanshi achieved the second-highest individual score for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in an IPL knockout match, just behind Jos Buttler's 106* against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2022.
Throughout this season, Sooryavanshi has amassed 680 runs in 15 innings, averaging 45.33 with a strike rate of 242.85, including one century and four fifties. He has hit 55 fours and 65 sixes, with an impressive boundary ratio of 2.3 balls per boundary and 4.3 balls per six.
This performance marks the highest run total for an uncapped player in an IPL season, surpassing his teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal's 625 runs. Additionally, he is the youngest player to reach 600 runs in a single IPL season.
Before Sooryavanshi's emergence, no player in T20 history had achieved over 600 runs in a tournament while maintaining a strike rate above 200.
In the match, Rajasthan Royals set a target of 242/8 in 20 overs, with Sooryavanshi's 97 off 29 balls and Dhruv Jurel's 50 off 21 balls being pivotal contributions. Praful Hinge was the standout bowler for SRH, taking 3 wickets for 54 runs.