New Delhi: If Vibhu Suryavanshi’s record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign was to be ranked as the biggest knock, his breathtaking strike against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator would sit right at the top. with the Rajasthan Royals Facing a do-or-die contest, the 15-year-old batting sensation produced one of the most devastating innings in IPL history, scoring 97 off just 29 balls to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2.The prodigy born in Bihar was not yet complete. In Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans, Suryavanshi once again lit up the stage with a sensational 96 runs. Although Rajasthan Royals eventually lost by seven wickets and fell short of a place in the final, the youngster had already cemented his place as the standout performer of the tournament.During his astonishing innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Suryavanshi hit 12 sixes, leaving the players and fans in disbelief. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s all-rounder was also among those who were surprised. Liam LivingstoneA veteran of seven IPL seasons who admitted that he had never seen anything like it.“I’ve never seen anything like it. And I’ve been there; this year was my seventh IPL. And I’ve played with and against some very good players, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Livingstone said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.The England all-rounder was particularly impressed with Surya Vinshi’s ability to evolve throughout the tournament and find an answer to every challenge thrown by the bowlers.“He’s just the way he hits the ball, he hits a ball so cleanly, yeah. He never really mishits the ball, never mishits a ball completely. And wherever the ball, the first time we got him off the bouncer, he hit it straight on the first ball. But then his development as a player from the beginning to the end of that tournament was like… we were talking bouncers and he was hitting it to third man, and then you’d bowl that side, he’d hit it there. You bowled full, he hit it there. Bowling a low full toss, he will flick it over there. And you’re like, ‘Okay, wait a minute, where should we go bowling?'” Livingstone added.Suryavanshi’s numbers from IPL 2026 have been nothing short of exceptional. The left-hander finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, scoring 776 runs in 16 innings at an astonishing strike rate of 237.30.He also rewrote the record books by hitting 72 sixes during the season, breaking the previous IPL record of 59 sixes set by West Indies great Chris Gayle. His remarkable campaign included a century and five half-centuries, earning him the Orange Cap and the Most Valuable Player award.
