Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Sets IPL 2026 Goal: Teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to make waves in world cricket after his stunning performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and several other junior international tournaments. The 14-year-old prodigy has already established himself as one of the most exciting young batsmans in the game, and he has now revealed an ambitious goal for the upcoming IPL season. While the youngster hopes to help Rajasthan Royals (RR) lift the trophy, he has also set his sights on one of the most iconic records in T20 cricket, the highest individual score in tournament history held by Chris Gayle.
Sooryavanshi Targets Gayle’s Iconic IPL Record
During the BCCI Naman Awards, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was asked to pick a personal milestone he would most like to achieve. The young batsman was given three choices: hitting six sixes in an over, breaking Gayle’s 175-run IPL record, or scoring the fastest century in the league.
“Breaking that 175 record,” he said.
Gayle’s monumental innings came during the IPL 2013 when the West Indies superstar, playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), produced one of the most destructive batting displays in T20 history. Facing the now-defunct Pune Warriors India, Gayle hammered an astonishing 175 off just 66 deliveries.
The innings included 13 fours and an incredible 17 sixes, a record-breaking performance that remains the highest individual score in the history of the IPL.
Record-Setting Debut IPL Season
Remarkably, Sooryavanshi nearly threatened another record during his debut IPL campaign. The young batsman smashed a breathtaking century against the Gujarat Titans, reaching the milestone in just 35 balls, just five more than Gayle.
He was eventually dismissed for 101 from 38 deliveries, but the knock still made history. It became the fastest IPL hundred by an Indian batsman, surpassing the previous mark set by Yusuf Pathan, who had scored a century in 37 balls for RR against the Mumbai Indians (MI) during the 2010 season.
