It was a scratchy start to his innings in Jaipur on Tuesday evening as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi crawled to five runs off his first eight balls. Yet, he eventually ended up with a stunning 93 off just 38 deliveries, including a 23-ball fifty, to help Rajasthan Royals beat Lucknow Super Giants and keep their playoff hopes alive. But more than the carnage itself, it was a subtle innovation in Sooryavanshi’s innings that not only impressed former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, but even drew comparisons with Chris Gayle.
Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in action (REUTERS)
Speaking on JioHotstar after the match in Jaipur, Pathan pointed out that while Sooryavanshi has largely been known as a dominant leg-side player, it was the range of shots he displayed on the off-side that stood out the most.
“This was unbelievable,” he said. “The maturity he showed was the biggest highlight for me. Whenever we watch Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, we always say he’s a very good leg-side player. But the way he played on the off-side in this game was outstanding. He has great control over his back-lift. He was playing over covers and even played an upper-cut over third man. It is very difficult to stop him.”
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During the innings, Sooryavanshi also became the youngest batter to hit 50 sixes in a single IPL season, taking his tally to 53 maximums in IPL 2026. And with Rajasthan still having one league game remaining, Pathan reckoned the opener could now break Gayle’s 14-year-old IPL record for the most sixes in a single season. The West Indies legend had smashed 59 sixes for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2012.
Pathan added: “In his first 10 balls, he was batting at a strike rate of less than 100, and by the end of the innings, he had scored 93 runs off just 38 balls. With 53 sixes, he is actually going after Chris Gayle’s record of 59 sixes, which has stood since 2012. As bowlers, we were always scared of facing Chris Gayle. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is creating that same fear, and Gayle’s record is definitely in danger.”
RR will play their final league-stage match against Mumbai Indians on May 24 at the Wankhede Stadium.
