Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Vs Chris Gayle Comparison After 22 IPL Matches

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has emulated Chris Gayle in IPL [Source: AFP]

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi extended his purple patch in the IPL 2026, as he played a match-winning innings in Rajasthan Royals' Qualifier 2 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Mullanpur Stadium. 

Sooryavanshi blazed his way through to an explosive 29-ball 97 with the help of five boundaries and twelve sixes. 

He shattered Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes in an IPL edition, adding another remarkable feat to his tally in a brief career spanning 22 matches. 

The 15-year-old cricketer has been phenomenal in the IPL 2026, leading the Orange Cap race with 680 runs under his belt. 

His ability to hit sixes in a nonchalant manner has drawn parallels with the legendary Chris Gayle, known as the 'six machine' during his playing days. 

With fans and experts observing striking similarities between these two players, here we compare Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Chris Gayle's numbers after 22 IPL matches. 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Chris Gayle IPL stats comparison after 22 matches

(Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Chris Gayle after 22 IPL matches)

West Indies legend Chris Gayle had represented two teams- Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru- during his first 22 matches in the IPL. He blew hot and cold across 16 matches for KKR before unleashing his beast mode for RCB in the 2011 season. 

Gayle had amassed 861 runs, including three fifties and two hundreds, at an average of 45.31 and a strike rate of 162.1 in his first 22 IPL outings. 

Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Record vs Gujarat Titans Before Qualifier 2 Of IPL 2026

Meanwhile, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has raced to 932 runs with the help of five fifties and two tons, averaging 42.36 and striking at 231.84. 

Similarities and differences between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Chris Gayle

The biggest similarity between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Chris Gayle is their ability to score consistently despite batting with an ultra-aggressive approach. 

Gayle had averaged 45.31 in his first 22 IPL matches, while Sooryavanshi has scored 42.36 runs per match. 

This shows that their high-risk approach has benefited both players, and they prefer to play their natural game regardless of the situation. Their attacking game makes Sooryavanshi and Gayle potent threats to the opposition in the powerplay. 

The fact that Gayle and Sooryavanshi have incredible boundary percentages after 22 IPL innings establishes them as fearsome openers in two different eras. 

Now, talking about the differences, Chris Gayle and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are not poles apart as far as their approach and efficiency are concerned. However, although Gayle was indeed ahead of his time, Sooryavanshi has taken his game to a whole new level. 

The mean strike rate of top-order batters with a minimum of 500 runs in the period during which Chris Gayle played 22 IPL matches was 127.04. Thus, Gayle recorded a scoring rate 35.06 points higher than his counterparts. 

• SR of other top order players (min 500 runs) in Sooryavanshi's period- 165.05
• SR of other top order players (min 500 runs) in Gayle's period- 127.04

Now, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's strike rate of 231.84 is a whopping 66.79 points higher than the mean strike rate of 165.05 among batters with a minimum of 500 IPL runs since 2025. 

Thus, Sooryavanshi has set a new benchmark in power-hitting, statistically proving to be almost twice as good as Chris Gayle in the initial IPL stage. 

History awaits Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

The factor which makes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's achievements even more incredible is his age. He has established himself as India's biggest superstar to watch out for, and given that he will be an active cricketer for at least two more decades, we can safely say that he's on his way to becoming the most successful T20 batter ever. 

In fact, Chris Gayle passed the baton to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, calling him the new six machine after his batting exploits against SRH. Thus, history definitely awaits Sooryavanshi, who'll likely break all the existing records and become the undisputed talisman of the shortest format. 

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