New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi continues to terrorise bowlers in IPL 2026, and former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the 15-year-old is on the verge of breaking one of the most iconic records in the tournament’s history.

Sooryavanshi smashed a blistering 93 off just 38 balls against Lucknow Super Giants as Rajasthan Royals chased down 221 with ease. In the process, the teenage prodigy became the first Indian batter in IPL history to hit 50 sixes in a single season. He also became the youngest player in tournament history to reach 500 runs and maintained the highest strike rate ever in a 500-plus-run season at 236.3.

“This was unbelievable. The maturity he showed was the highlight for me. We always say, whenever we watch Vaibhav Suryavanshi, that he’s a very good leg-side player. 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,” Pathan told JioStar.

“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 Suryavanshi is creating that same fear, and Gayle’s record is definitely in danger,” he said, praising the teenager’s power-hitting and composure under pressure.

With a seven-wicket win, RR jumped to fourth place in the points table, ahead of Punjab Kings, who had been holding that position for quite some time. A victory in their last league stage game against Mumbai Indians, and some favourable results, would lead to the inaugural champions clinching the last-remaining playoff spot.

On the Royals’ team dynamics and their prospects for the final league stage game against MI at Wankhede, Pathan noted, “I still think they should have played much better cricket, especially during the middle phase of the tournament, which they didn’t. But right now, after this win, they still have everything in their own hands. The next game at the Wankhede is going to be a tough one, especially from a bowling perspective. How they come up with their bowling plans will be very important.”

“But RR are at least keeping themselves in contention, especially with the kind of batting line-up they have. What’s happening with Ravindra Jadeja? His experience will be invaluable, and at the same time, Riyan Parag’s batting will be key as well. I’ll be keeping an eye on these two factors because if both of them come back in, RR will be in a much better position to win that game too,” he added.

–IANS

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