Xplorich
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again stunned the cricketing world with a breathtaking innings in the IPL 2026 Eliminator, and remarkably, even during the innings itself, the teenage sensation looked completely calm despite the enormity of the occasion. Speaking to the broadcasters during the mid-innings break after smashing 97 off just 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Rajasthan Royals opener revealed that he never allowed the pressure of a knockout game to affect his approach. Facing a bowling attack led by Pat Cummins, Sooryavanshi unleashed a brutal assault that included 12 towering sixes and nearly saw him break Chris Gayle’s iconic record for the fastest IPL century. Despite the massive stage and the chaos he created at the crease, Sooryavanshi said his coaches had only one message for him before the match. “(Did it ever strike you that this is a knockout game, a big match?) No, it was somewhere in my mind, but all the coaches told me to do exactly what I’ve been doing in practice, enjoy the game, and not take pressure in this match.” The teenager looked unstoppable throughout his stay at the crease, taking apart almost every SRH bowler on a batting-friendly surface. Cummins and the SRH leadership group were repeatedly forced into discussions after nearly every boundary, but Sooryavanshi continued to attack fearlessly. When asked by the broadcaster whether the boundaries felt too small during his unbelievable six-hitting spree, the youngster gave a simple response. “(Were the boundaries a bit too small for you?) No sir.” Sooryavanshi also admitted during the mid-innings interview that he believed Rajasthan Royals still left runs behind despite posting a massive 243 for 8. “(From your perspective, is 243 a little below par or decent enough?) No, even after I got out, it still felt it was possible to score 260+. But now, whatever score we have, we will look to defend it and execute whatever plans we have.” The RR opener narrowly missed out on a century after getting caught at third man off Praful Hinge in the eighth over, falling just three runs short of what could have been one of the greatest IPL innings ever played. Explaining the dismissal, Sooryavanshi admitted he tried to change his shot after spotting the fielder. “(Was the century on your mind?) I wasn’t really thinking about it like that, but I played that shot after looking at the fielder, and that’s why I mistimed it. If I had gone towards third man, it would have cleared easily. But I tried to hit it straight, and that’s why I missed the shot.” Even without the century, the innings rewrote several IPL records. Sooryavanshi broke Gayle’s 14-year-old record for the most sixes in a single IPL season and now has 65 sixes in IPL 2026.
