Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rewrites the IPL record books with a six-session performance

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued his record-breaking rise in the Indian Premier League by becoming the Indian batsman with the most sixes in a single season. The Rajasthan Royals youngster reached the milestone during RR’s encounter against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on May 17, taking his tally to 43 sixes in just 12 innings.

Sooryavanshi reached the landmark with a dazzling 21-ball 46 that included three towering sixes, surpassing the previous Indian benchmarks set by Abhishek Sharma (42 in 2024), Shreyas Iyer (39 in 2025) and Virat Kohli (38 in 2016).

The teenager’s explosive season appeared as one of the standout stories of IPL 2025, with his fearless approach transforming Rajasthan Royals’ starts at the top of the order and drawing comparisons with some of the league’s most devastating hitters.

“I think the fact is that he is hitting the ball well, he is giving us those really quick starts,” RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara said during the match. “I think the most exciting thing is the way he looks at batting. He looks at it the way we all should as a 15-year-old, as a kid. He loves it. He hits long hours, and that’s the most exciting thing.”

BETTER THAN LEGENDS?

“He also really reads the game so it’s not just mindless batting with him,” added Sangakkara. “He’s a much better player than I ever was, so he needs a little bit of help, but not too much.

Despite rewriting India’s record books, Sooryavanshi still falls short of the overall IPL benchmark held by Chris Gayle. The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru batsman smashed 59 sixes during the 2012 season.

Sooryavanshi now has at least two league games left to close the gap further, while a potential play-off qualification for Rajasthan Royals could give him further opportunities to challenge Gayle’s long-standing mark. Given his current strike tally and fearless intent, the possibility of the 15-year-old pushing his way towards the overall record no longer seems far-fetched.

A wider meaning Sooryavanshi’s performance lies in both his age and consistency. While several Indian batsmen have enjoyed prolific six-hit campaigns in the IPL, none have managed such a feat at such a young age or at such a rapid pace. With Rajasthan Royals still in the hunt for a place in the play-offs, the teenager could add to his tally further in the remaining league fixtures and potentially in the knock-outs.

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Published on:

17 May 2026 20:57 IST