Vaibhav Sooryavanshi falls 3 runs short of Gayle’s century record, but breaks another one

When Yashasvi Jaiswal walked out to bat alongside 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, he probably did not expect his role would mostly be to watch sixes disappear into the stands and records tumble one after another.

The teenager produced another breathtaking innings on Wednesday during the IPL eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, breaking one of Chris Gayle’s long-standing records and coming agonisingly close to another.

Sooryavanshi now holds the record for the most sixes hit by a batter in a single IPL season. His 12 sixes in the eliminator took his tally to 65 for the season, surpassing Gayle’s previous record of 59.

The youngster smashed a stunning 97 off just 29 balls in an innings that completely dismantled the Hyderabad bowling attack.

However, his assault ended heartbreakingly close to history. Sooryavanshi was caught by Smaran Ravichandran while attempting another big hit off Praful Hinge.

Had the shot cleared the boundary, the teenager could have surpassed Gayle’s record for the fastest century in IPL history. For now, the West Indian’s iconic 30-ball hundred remains untouched.

Still, Sooryavanshi’s explosive knock has further strengthened his grip on the Orange Cap race. The 15-year-old now leads the run-scoring charts with 680 runs this season and could become the youngest-ever Orange Cap winner if he maintains his form through the remainder of the tournament.

The remarkable campaign already includes one century and five half-centuries, and if Rajasthan makes it to the finals, it has two more matches to increase the tally.