Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets new nickname from Chris Gayle after busting Universe Boss' IPL sixes record

Rajasthan Royals (RR) crushed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a thrilling IPL 2026 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur, securing their spot in Qualifier 2 where they will battle the Gujarat Titans (GT) for a place in the grand finale. The undisputed star of the match was 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The young RR opener stole the spotlight with a breathtaking display of power-hitting, smashing 97 runs off just 29 balls in a spectacular innings studded with five boundaries and 12 towering sixes.

Chris Gayle announces new nickname for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Sooryavanshi's historic knock officially broke a massive tournament record previously held by Chris Gayle, drawing a direct response from the West Indies legend himself. Taking to his official account on X, Gayle shared two screenshots of the teenager from his blistering performance against SRH. The legendary left-hander praised the youngster as a phenomenal talent and officially bestowed upon him a fitting new nickname: the "New Six Machine."

“What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man! New Six machine," Gayle wrote on X.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's mayhem sinks SRH in IPL 2026 Eliminator

By smashing an incredible 12 sixes against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi officially became the player with the most sixes in a single edition of the IPL in tournament history. The spectacular feat saw him surpass the long-standing record of West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who launched 59 sixes during the 2012 season. To add to the magnitude of his achievement, Sooryavanshi's relentless hitting also secured him the record for the most sixes hit in a single edition of any T20 tournament in cricket history.

Despite his record-breaking night, the 15-year-old batting prodigy narrowly missed out on eclipsing another iconic Chris Gayle milestone. While batting on 97, Sooryavanshi attempted an upper cut off a delivery from Praful Hinge. However, his shot failed to clear the boundary for a maximum, as Smaran Ravichandran intercepted the ball with a brilliant catch at third man to bring the explosive innings to an end.

The wonderkid is now gearing up for the all-important IPL 2026 Qualifier 2, where RR will face GT for a coveted spot in final.