'I Want to Break Gayle's Record': RR Star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Sets Sights on T20 Double Century (WATCH)

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) batting sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, has set his eyes on shattering the former West Indies explosive batter Chris Gayle’s all-time T20 record for the highest individual score.

Sooryavanshi has been grabbing headlines with his explosive batting and fearless strokeplay, which have often drawn comparisons to the game’s greatest icons. After a breakthrough IPL debut season last year, where he played a record-breaking 101-run knock against the Gujarat Titans, the 15-year-old has been on a rapid rise, thanks to his unwavering confidence and the mentorship he has received within the Rajasthan Royals setup.

As Sooryavanshi has already taken the opposite bowlers to the cleaners, becoming the first Indian batter and the third overall to smash 50 sixes in a single IPL season, the young prodigy is now looking to scale the "Everest" of T20 batting: the elusive 200-run mark.

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Sooryavanshi Aims to Break Gayle’s Record

Chris Gayle’s 175 for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors in the IPL 2013 remains the gold standard for T20 batting excellence, having stood as the highest individual score in the history of the Indian Premier League for over a decade. However, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is aiming to go beyond Gayle’s record and cement his legacy as the most destructive force in T20 cricket.

Speaking in the latest Kevin Pietersen’s ‘The Switch’ episode, the RR batting sensation confidently stated that he wanted to score a double century in his T20 score.

“I want to score 200 in T20,” the 15-year-old

 

When Pietersen reminded Sooryavanshi of Gayle’s towering 175, the young batter, unfazed by it, said:

“Yeah, I want to break his record and score 200. If I play 20 overs in any game, I definitely will break that record."

 

 

Though his T20 career is still at the nascent stage, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has shattered multiple records, becoming the youngest player to record a century in the history of the format, the second fastest to an IPL century, fastest and youngest to complete 500 runs in a single IPL season, most sixes by an Indian in a match, and the first Indian to hit 50 maximums ina single IPL season.

Can Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Break Chris Gayle’s T20 Record?

Two things are common between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Chris Gayle: they are both left-handed explosive openers and their unwavering, ‘fear-factor’ presence at the crease. Their stay at the crease has often posed a serious threat to opposition bowlers, who are increasingly finding themselves in a state of panic the moment the 15-year-old takes his stance.

Sooryavanshi breaking Gayle’s record may look like a steep mountain to climb, but for a batter who has consistently defied the conventional wisdom regarding age and experience, it is a challenge he embraces with startling composure. The 15-year-old has been relying on sheer power and meticulous game awareness, qualities that have enabled him to attack the opposition bowlers with a maturity rarely seen in players twice his age.

When Chris Gayle recorded the highest individual score of 175 off 66 balls, it was an innings that redefined the ceiling of what was considered possible in T20 cricket. Since the format has become more of a batting paradise, the nature of the challenge has shifted. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is playing in an era where power-hitting has been revolutionized, providing him with the perfect canvas to challenge cricket’s most daunting record.

Across both IPL seasons, Sooryavanshi has amassed 835 runs in 21 matches, a tally that underscores his rapid ascent to becoming one of the most prolific teenage run-scorers in the tournament's history. In the IPL 2026, the 15-year-old has aggregated 583 runs, including a century and two fifties, at an average of 41.64 and a strike rate of 232.27 in 14 matches.

Therefore, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's shattering of Chris Gayle’s 175-run record remains the ultimate challenge for the 15-year-old sensation, but it aligns with his historic trajectory in the 2026 IPL season.

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