Gayle held it for 14 Years. Suryavanshi broke it in 16 Balls

Young Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi narrowly missed a historic century during the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the New PCA Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Wednesday. The 15-year-old played a stunning knock of 97 runs off just 28 balls and fell only three runs short of a memorable hundred.

The Eliminator was not just about his explosive batting. Sooryavanshi once again created history with a breathtaking six-hitting display. The young left-hander smashed a 16-ball half-century and hammered eight sixes during his innings. With this knock, he has now hit 60 sixes in IPL 2026, breaking Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the most sixes in a single IPL season.

The southpaw from Bihar showed no signs of pressure in his first IPL knockout match. After taking a few deliveries to settle in, Sooryavanshi unleashed a fearless attacking display in New Chandigarh, entertaining fans with his clean striking and fearless approach. Watch the special video here.

Sooryavanshi's 16-ball fifty is the joint-fastest in IPL Knockout history — Equals Suresh Raina's 2014 record

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered another sensational performance in the IPL 2026 Eliminator and etched his name into the tournament’s history books. Playing for the Rajasthan Royals against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mullanpur, the young opener smashed a breathtaking half-century in just 16 balls. With that effort, he equalled the record for the fastest fifty in IPL knockout history.

Sooryavanshi’s explosive innings now puts him alongside Suresh Raina, whose famous 16-ball fifty came during Qualifier 2 of IPL 2014 against Punjab Kings. The former India batter had blasted 87 runs off just 25 balls for Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium, producing one of the greatest playoff innings in IPL history. More than a decade later, the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals batter has matched that iconic achievement.

Fastest fifties in IPL knockouts/playoffs

Balls	Player	Opponent	Year
16	Suresh Raina	PBKS	2014
16	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi	SRH	2026
17	Adam Gilchrist	DC	2009
20	MS Dhoni	MI	2012
21	Dwayne Smith	CSK	2013
21	Rajat Patidar	GT	2026

The left-hander showed no signs of pressure in his first IPL knockout appearance. He attacked the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers from the start and entertained fans with fearless strokeplay and powerful hitting. At just 15 years old, Sooryavanshi has already entered the same conversation as some of the biggest names in IPL playoff history.

61 sixes in a single IPL season: How a 15-year-old just erased Chris Gayle's 14-Year-old record

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi created history during the IPL 2026 Eliminator by breaking Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the most sixes in a single IPL season. The 15-year-old smashed eight sixes during his explosive innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad, taking his season tally to 61 sixes. Gayle had previously held the record with 59 sixes during the 2012 season, but Sooryavanshi has now set a new benchmark in IPL history.

The young left-hander showed no signs of pressure in his first IPL knockout match in New Chandigarh. He began his attack with a huge six off Pat Cummins before completely taking control of the innings. Sooryavanshi hammered 25 runs in one over against the Australian pacer and raced to 36 runs from just 10 balls. He later smashed three sixes off Sakib Hussain to bring up a stunning half-century in only 16 deliveries.

That half-century also helped Sooryavanshi equal Suresh Raina’s record for the fastest fifty in IPL knockout history. The Rajasthan Royals youngster eventually scored 97 runs off just 29 balls, producing one of the greatest playoff knocks in IPL history. At just 15 years old, Sooryavanshi continues to rewrite records and establish himself as the biggest breakout star of IPL 2026.

Most sixes in an IPL season

Sixes	Player	Season
61*	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi	2026
59	Chris Gayle	2012
52	Andre Russell	2019
51	Chris Gayle	2013
45	Jos Buttler	2022

Even Chris Gayle posted a message on X after the Rajasthan Royals batter’s blistering knock and record-breaking performance. Praising Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Gayle wrote, “What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment, young man! New six machine.”

What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man! New Six machine @IPL pic.twitter.com/ofElAousF7
— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) May 27, 2026

97 Off 29 balls — Sooryavanshi's full eliminator knock was one of the most brutal in IPL playoff history

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered another unforgettable performance in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, smashing 97 runs off just 29 balls in a breathtaking display of power-hitting. Although he missed out on a century by just three runs, the 15-year-old completely changed the game with his fearless batting and aggressive approach. His innings is already being counted among the finest knocks in IPL playoff history.

The young Rajasthan Royals opener raced to his half-century in only 16 balls, equalling the record for the fastest fifty in IPL playoff history. He attacked the SRH bowlers from the very beginning and kept sending the ball into the stands with ease. Sooryavanshi smashed 12 sixes and five fours during his explosive innings and scored at an incredible strike rate of 334.48.

Thanks to his stunning assault, Rajasthan Royals stormed to 125/1 in just eight overs during the high-pressure knockout clash. Sooryavanshi dominated every bowler he faced and never allowed Sunrisers Hyderabad to settle into the game. His sensational innings finally ended on the last ball of the eighth over when he was dismissed by Praful Hinge after entertaining the crowd with one fearless shot after another.

The innings also helped Sooryavanshi create more history during an already remarkable IPL season. His 12 sixes took his tally to 65 sixes in IPL 2026, breaking Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the most sixes in a single IPL season. The teenager also moved to the top of the Orange Cap standings with 680 runs in 15 matches and surpassed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record for the most runs by an uncapped batter in a single IPL season.

IPL 2026 Eliminator Brief Scorecard