Rajasthan Royals’ teenage dynamo Vaibhav Sooryavanshi kept his sensational IPL 2026 run rolling with a whirlwind 93 off just 38 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur on Tuesday night. Chasing a target of 221, the youngster smashed his way to key milestones along the way, extending his reputation as one of the most explosive batters in the tournament.
Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to reach 500 runs in a single IPL season, overtaking the previous benchmark set by Rishabh Pant. Pant had achieved the milestone at the age of 20 for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2018. The Rajasthan batter also posted the best strike rate of any batter in an IPL season (with a minimum of 500-plus runs), registering a staggering 236.3 in the 2026 campaign.
In the strike-rate rankings for IPL seasons, Andre Russell sits second with a strike rate of 204.8 in 2019. Abhishek Sharma follows in third after scoring at 202.0 during the 2026 edition. The list also features Nicholas Pooran (196.2 in 2025), Travis Head (191.5 in 2024), Glenn Maxwell (187.7 in 2014), and Chris Gayle (183.1 in 2011).
In the innings itself, Sooryavanshi made another statement in the boundary count. He became the first Indian batter to clear the 50-sixes mark in a single IPL edition and has now struck 53 maximums in IPL 2026.
When viewed across the league’s season tally for most sixes, Chris Gayle tops the overall chart with 59 in 2012. Sooryavanshi is next with 53* in 2026, followed by Andre Russell (52 in 2019), Gayle again (51 in 2013), Jos Buttler (45 in 2022), Gayle (44 in 2011), and Abhishek Sharma (42 in 2024).
New celebration, same old Sooryavanshi fire
Sooryavanshi also matched a rare power-hitting feat in this IPL. He became only the second batter after Kolkata Knight Riders opener Finn Allen, within the current season, to record 10 or more sixes in an innings on two separate occasions during the same campaign. Overall, he is only the third player after Chris Gayle and Abhishek Sharma to reach double figures in sixes in an innings multiple times in the IPL.
Data further highlights how dominant Rajasthan have been in the “powerplay sixes” department. As per CricViz figures, RR set a new IPL record for most powerplay sixes in a single season, landing 60 in IPL 2026. Sooryavanshi alone has accounted for 37 of those, with Yashasvi Jaiswal contributing 12, while the remaining sixes in the phase have come from other members of the team.
The previous best in this powerplay-six category belonged to Sunrisers Hyderabad, who managed 59 in 2024. Rajasthan’s earlier mark came in 2025 with 57, and SRH registered 54 in 2026 before RR’s current surge.
LSG set the chase at 221
Turning to the match, Lucknow Super Giants posted 220/5 after being invited to bat first by Rajasthan in Jaipur. Their total was driven by a fast start, with an aggressive opening partnership between Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh.
LSG raced to 83/0 in the powerplay—one of their best starts of the season—before Inglis struck a 30-ball half-century and helped build a 109-run opening stand with Marsh. Inglis was dismissed for 60, but Marsh kept the momentum going, scoring a 25-ball fifty before finishing with 96 off 57 deliveries.
Late cameos from skipper Rishabh Pant pushed LSG past the 200-mark. However, both Pant and Marsh were run out in the final over, and LSG eventually closed on 220/5. For Rajasthan, Yash Raj Punja took 2/35, while Jofra Archer added one wicket.
Sooryavanshi and Jurel deliver in style
In reply, Sooryavanshi produced a brutal chase, striking 93 off 38 balls. He struck 10 sixes and seven fours to keep the run-rate soaring, while wicketkeeper-batter Jurel added quick-fire support with 53 off 38 deliveries, including 10 sixes and seven fours.
Rajasthan’s chase ended with a comfortable seven-wicket win. With the victory, RR moved up to fourth place in the IPL points table, collecting 14 points from their campaign so far.
