Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses fastest IPL 100 by a whisker but mows down hat-trick of records with 12 breathtaking sixes

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed 25 runs in one over bowled by Pat Cummins in the Eliminator against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi suffered heartbreak after missing out on the fastest century in IPL history, but the youngster’s 97 had already etched his name into IPL folklore as he shattered three remarkable batting milestones. Sooryavanshi needed just three runs off his 29th ball to surpass Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest IPL hundred, a 30-ball blitzkrieg in 2012, but the boy wonder found the most unfortunate part of the boundary, top-edging the ball straight into the hands of third man. He stood there in disbelief, refusing to walk at first. But by the time he finally made his way back, he had already laid the foundation for Rajasthan Royals’ carnage against Sunrisers Hyderabad within the first 10 overs.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed the SRH bowlers all around the park. (AFP)

Sooryavanshi dispatched Sakib Hussain for back-to-back sixes on the final two deliveries of the fourth over, and en route, he ended up breaking Gayle's record of most sixes in a single edition of the IPL. It is important to mention that Gayle has the most maximums in the history of the tournament (357).

Moreover, the opening batter also became the youngest player in the history of the tournament to register more than 600 runs, breaking Rishabh Pant's record (2018). The record-breaking spree didn't end there; he also registered the joint-fastest fifty in IPL playoff history, achieving it in just 16 balls.

Sooryavanshi eventually scored 97 runs off 29 balls, including five fours and 12 sixes. He was in touching distance of hitting the fastest IPL century, but ended up losing his wicket off the bowling of Praful Hinge on the final delivery of the eighth over. After being dismissed, Sooryavanshi was extremely upset, and he walked off the pitch ever so slowly. Even his teammates Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel were too in absolute shock.

The teen sensation did not take a backward step in the knockout match against the Sunrisers, coming out all guns blazing. He even hit Pat Cummins, the Hyderabad captain, for 25 runs in a single over. In the third over, Sooryavanshi slammed three consecutive sixes off the bowling of Australia's ODI and Test captain.

In the powerplay, Sooryavanshi dominated the Sunrisers bowlers, and Yashasvi Jaiswal had to play second fiddle. The young opening batter did not let any bowler settle, hitting Cummins, Eshan Malinga, and Sakib for fun.

What happened at the toss?

In the Eliminator, Sunrisers captain Cummins won the toss and opted to bowl. However, the move backfired at first as Sooryavanshi took the SRH bowling attack to task. The youngster's onslaught helped the Royals post 80 runs in the power play, and Cummins was forced to take the strategic time-out as soon as the first six overs got done with.

Sooryavanshi has been the Royals' biggest match-winner in the IPL 2026 season, and his form has been the biggest reason the Riyan Parag-led side has made it to the playoffs. The youngster's form also helped him earn a place in the India A squad for the upcoming 50-over Tri-Series in Sri Lanka.

Coming back to the contest between SRH and RR, the winner of the match between the Sunrisers and Royals will face the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 in Mullanpur on Friday.