Vaibhav Sooryavanshi entered the elite list of IPL after a 335-run bloodbath

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals (AP Photo) Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to rewrite IPL history with astonishing ease and his breathtaking 97 off just 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Eliminator 2026 has now become one of the most devastating innings the tournament has ever seen. The Rajasthan Royals opener recorded the second highest strike rate in IPL history in an innings of 70 or more runs, placing his memorable knock alongside some of the most iconic innings in the history of the league. Highest knocks for 70+ scores in IPL history:

• 348 – Suresh Raina (87 off 25 vs PBKS, 2014)
• 335 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (97 off 29 vs SRH, 2026)
• 327 – Yusuf Pathan (72 off 22 vs SRH, 2014)

Sooryavanshi’s innings stunned the cricketing world as the 15-year-old toyed with the likes of Pat Cummins on a real tee at Mullanpur. The teenager launched a ferocious six-hit attack and smashed 12 highs during his stay at the crease. Cummins and the SRH bowlers tried several schemes against the free-wheeling left-hander but Sooryavanshi sent the ball into the stands with amazing ease. Everything bowled in full disappeared straight over the bowler’s head, short balls were chopped over third man and deliveries to his pads were effortlessly collected over fine leg. His bat speed and fearless intent completely overwhelmed the experienced SRH attack. Not too long ago, Sooryavanshi told Kevin Pietersen about his outrageous ambition to score a double hundred in T20 cricket. As I watched him dismantle SRH in the Eliminator, the dream suddenly didn’t seem so unrealistic. The RR opener eventually fell to 97 after being caught at third man off Praful Hinge, narrowly missing out on breaking Chris Gayle’s all-time IPL record for the fastest century. His slow walk back to the pavilion reflected his disappointment, even as the entire stadium applauded the extraordinary innings. During the knock, Sooryavanshi also broke Gayle’s 14-year-old record of sixes in a single IPL season. He now has a staggering 65 sixes in IPL 2026. To put his innings into perspective, the teenager raced to his half-century in just 16 balls, with half of those deliveries crossing the boundary ropes. His opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal was reduced to a spectator at the other end and finished with a run-a-ball 29, while Sooryavanshi dominated almost every match. Dhruv Jurel later added a brilliant 50 off 21 balls but Rajasthan Royals lost momentum in the death overs after reaching 180 for 2 in 13 overs. SRH fought back strongly in the closing stages and took five wickets for just 36 runs in the last five overs. Still, the night belonged to Sooryavanshi, whose staggering strike tally of 335 now stands behind only Raina’s legendary carom in the 2014 playoffs against Punjab Kings.