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Gujarat Titans' veteran batter Jos Buttler and his former international teammate Stuart Broad have expressed immense admiration for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, noting that the young prodigy is already working wonders on the grand stage despite his tender age. Both cricket stars were left in total awe of the Indian youngster's captivating stroke play and natural talent.
Jos Buttler in awe of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's talent
Sooryavanshi's phenomenal form has taken the ongoing IPL 2026 season by storm, where his dominant batting performances have propelled him to the top tier of the Orange Cap leaderboard. Highlighting his explosive power at the crease, the teenage sensation is currently just seven sixes away from surpassing a long-standing tournament record held by legendary West Indies batter Chris Gayle.
Speaking during a recent episode of the podcast 'For the Love of Cricket', Buttler and Broad shared their sheer disbelief at Sooryavanshi's extraordinary ball-striking ability. The seasoned English veterans marveled at how effortlessly the young batter dismantles opposition bowling attacks, cementing his status as one of the most exciting talents in modern cricket.
“And talking about sixes, our friend Vaibhav smashed a few sixes again last night — 93 off 38. He’s now hit the most sixes for sure by an Indian player in an IPL. He’s over 50 (53) sixes, I think, in the season. And I think it’s only Gayle who’s just ahead of him with maybe one or two more sixes for the all-time record for most sixes in a season,” Buttler said.
“I’ve watched him bat in the powerplay,” Buttler said. “The stats galore, right? Balls per boundary in the powerplay are two. So every other ball in the powerplay, he hits a four or a six, which is just crazy,” he added.
Operating at an absurd strike rate of nearly 240, Sooryavanshi's efficiency has been so devastating that even former English speedster Stuart Broad did not mince his words when praising the Rajasthan Royals star's run-scoring ability. Highlighting the sheer ridiculousness of that scoring rate, Broad joked that it effectively translates to the youngster hammering "236 runs for every hundred balls he faces."
“Chris Gayle—the best T20 player to ever play the game, I think, especially in terms of six-hitting—is the record with 59,” Buttler further stated.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi nears Chris Gayle's historic IPL milestone
Buttler further emphasised that with the Rajasthan Royals firmly in contention for the playoffs this season, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has ample opportunities ahead to eclipse the historic milestone held by Chris Gayle. Given the extra matches that a playoff run guarantees, the young prodigy is well positioned to rewrite the tournament's record books. Buttler also pointed out the young opener's remarkable adaptability, claiming that whenever an opposition bowling side believes they have finally cracked the formula to dismiss him, Sooryavanshi effortlessly counters their plans. He consistently manages to get the team off to flying starts, proving to be an incredibly reliable asset who rarely lets his side down.
“So I think if Rajasthan gets through to the playoffs, then Vaibhav will definitely go past that record, Which again, it’s just another one of these mind-boggling things that he’s doing at 15 years of age. “He’s one step ahead of everyone,” he concluded.
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