Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation has been turning heads with his jaw-dropping batting outings in the Indian Premier League. The 15-year-old has been instrumental in RR’s progress to the playoffs, having scored 583 runs and being the team’s top run-scorer of the season.
Not just the runs, but the way Sooryavanshi scored them makes him an ultra-dangerous batter. Despite being so young in his career, the Southpaw does not hold back from taking risks against top bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, all of whom he has hit for sixes for fun. The youngster has set the ceiling high with a jaw-dropping strike rate of 232.27 and has hit 53 sixes in IPL 2026.
Sooryavanshi eyes all-time records
Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi is above the likes of MS Dhoni and Andre Russell, among others, with the highest strike rate in a single IPL season and eyes an all-time record. His SR of 232.27 is the second-best in an IPL season with players who have scored 100 or more runs. He is only second to Delhi Capitals’ Jake Fraser-McGurk, who had hit 330 runs in nine innings in IPL 2024 at a strike rate of 234.04.ย
Sooryavanshi already boasted the best strike rate in a season until he fell for four runs in RR’s last league stage outing against the Mumbai Indians; however, his cheap dismissal took his SR below Fraser-McGurk. He is above the likes of MS Dhoni and Andre Russell, who tallied 220.54 and 204.81 in IPL 2024 and 2019, respectively.
Best strike rate in an IPL season (minimum 100 runs):
1 – Jake Fraser-McGurk: 234.04 SR in IPL 2024
2 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 232.27 SR in IPL 2026
3 – MS Dhoni: 220.54 SR in IPL 2024
4 – Rashid Khan: 216.66 SR in IPL 2023
5 – Tim David: 216.27 SR in IPL 2022
Sooryavanshi looks to break Gayle’s six-hitting record
Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi is not far away from breaking a huge Chris Gayle record. He has slammed 53 sixes in IPL 2026 and is seven maximums away from shattering the record for most sixes hit in a single T20 tournament. Gayle had smashed 59 maximums during IPL 2012.ย
Sooryavanshi did not hit a single six against MI after having slammed 10 in a jaw-dropping 93 against the Lucknow Super Giants in the preceding game. However, as RR have moved their way into the playoffs, he would fancy his chances of going past Gayle.
Most sixes in any T20 tournament:
1 – Chris Gayle: 59 sixes in 14 innings in IPL 2012
2 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 53 sixes in 13 innings in IPL 2026*
3 – Andre Russell: 52 sixes in 13 innings in IPL 2019
4 – Chris Gayle: 51 sixes in 16 innings in IPL 2013
5 – Chris Gayle: 47 sixes in 11 innings in IPL 2017
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