Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced one of the most breathtaking innings ever seen in an IPL knockout match, but the teenager’s emotional reaction after falling three runs short of a historic century showed just how much the moment meant to him. Representing Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mullanpur, Sooryavanshi tore apart the SRH bowling attack with a stunning 97 off just 29 balls. The innings included a brutal assault of 12 sixes and brought him within touching distance of breaking Chris Gayle’s all-time record for the fastest IPL century. Gayle’s iconic 30-ball hundred for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2013 still remains the fastest in IPL history, while Sooryavanshi narrowly missed overtaking it after being dismissed on 97. The young opener already owns the record for the fastest IPL century by an Indian batter and also holds the second and third-fastest IPL hundreds by an Indian, having reached three figures in just 35 and 36 balls earlier in his remarkable season. But despite rewriting record books once again, the teenager looked heartbroken after missing out on what could have been one of the greatest T20 milestones ever achieved. As he walked back to the pavilion, visible disappointment could be seen on his face, with cameras even catching signs of tears in his eyes. It was a rare emotional moment in the middle of an innings filled with fearless hitting and complete domination. Sooryavanshi’s knock also helped him scale several unprecedented landmarks during his extraordinary IPL 2026 campaign. He shattered Gayle’s 14-year-old record of 59 sixes from the 2012 IPL season and now holds the record for the most sixes in a single IPL season with 65. Most sixes in an IPL season:
- 65* – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (2026)
- 59 – Chris Gayle (2012)
The RR opener also became the first teenager ever to score 600 runs in a T20 tournament before turning 20 and now holds the record for the most runs by an uncapped batter in a single IPL season. Most runs by an uncapped batter in an IPL season:
- 680* – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR, 2026)
- 625 – Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR, 2023)
During the knock, Sooryavanshi also equalled Suresh Raina’s legendary record for the fastest fifty in IPL playoff history, reaching the milestone in just 16 balls. His 97 is now the second-highest individual score by a Rajasthan Royals batter in an IPL playoff game, behind only Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 106 against RCB in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2022. Yet, despite all the records and applause, the image that may stay with fans the longest is not one of the sixes flying into the stands, but a 15-year-old prodigy walking off devastated after coming painfully close to creating perhaps the greatest IPL innings ever played.
