Vaibhav Sooryavanshi just rewrote IPL history, leaving Chris Gayle’s old record in the dust. He blasted 12 sixes against Sunrisers Hyderabad during the Eliminator on Wednesday. That single game didn’t just push him past Gayle — it helped him break a dozen other records, too. Star Sports couldn’t help but dub him “Universe Boss Baby,” pretty much handing over Gayle’s famous nickname with a twist.
While Sooryavanshi was lighting up the stadium, Sunil Gavaskar turned to RR batting coach Vikram Rathour with a question: could anyone from Rajasthan Royals actually get the teenager out in the nets? RR’s pace star Jofra Archer got a similar question — where would he bowl to Sooryavanshi? Archer decided to play it cool and left his answer for after the season.
Rathour, though, went with a cheeky comeback. “It’s only me, I think. I throw it with my stick, and I actually get him out quite often. I’m not telling you why.”
If you don’t remember, Rathour was India’s batting coach from 2021 to 2024. He made his own Test debut back in Birmingham in 1996 against England. Funny enough, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly debuted in that same series — just in the match at Lord’s right after Rathour’s first game.
Back on the field, Sooryavanshi hammered a wild 97 from just 29 balls, stuffing his innings with 12 sixes. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowlers barely knew what hit them, and Rajasthan Royals racked up a massive 243/8.
Sooryavanshi now wears the Orange Cap, having piled up 680 runs so far this season. Sure, he just missed breaking the record for the fastest IPL hundred, but he left SRH’s attack stunned by his bold shot-making.
