'Impossible for someone to beat what this kid is doing' - Kris Srikkanth's massive praise for Vaibhav Suryavanshi after IPL 2026 Eliminator

Published - 28 May 2026, 12:48 IST | Updated - 28 May 2026, 13:02 IST

Kris Srikkanth was effusive in his praise for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the 15-year-old smashed 97 off 29 balls to orchestrate a comprehensive 47-run win for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Wednesday, May 27, in Mullanpur.

During the clash, Sooryavanshi broke Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes hit by a batter in an IPL season (59). The youngster belted 12 sixes on Wednesday to take his tally to 65 in the tournament. Srikkanth said that it is a remarkable feat to better Gayle's record so early in his career. The former India skipper claimed that not even Viv Richards or Kapil Dev could destroy bowling attacks with such consistency.

"Now it's about what name can be given to him on the lines of Universe Boss or God of cricket. The whole world is praising him. What Gayle did in his career, this kid is beating in his second season. It'll be impossible for someone to beat what this kid is doing. He is not just slogging but playing very intelligent cricket," Srikkanth said in a video on his YouTube channel.

"He hasn't failed in consecutive innings this entire season and has scored in 11 out of the 15 innings. He is having the Orange Cap in his first full season itself. I've seen many players destroy attacks like Viv Richards and Kapil Dev. But I've never seen someone as explosive as him. Even Viv Richards and Kapil Dev didn't consistently destroy attacks like this," he added.

Srikkanth said that, like the 2016 IPL is remembered for Virat Kohli's stellar run with the bat, where he scored a record 973 runs, this season will remain associated with Sooryavanshi's remarkable performances with the bat.

"Just like everyone's recall about the 2016 IPL is Virat Kohli's 970+ runs, this season, everyone's top-of-the-mind recall will be Vaibhav Suryavanshi. This is Suryavanshi's IPL, and it's been all about him. And he does it so quietly without dishing out words," said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).

Tendulkar analyses Sooryavanshi's game after heroics vs SRH

Srikkanth predicted another mind-boggling performance from the opening batter in Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Titans on Friday, May 29.

"Whenever a bowler removes him in the previous match, he specifically targets and smashes them. Last time against GT, Siraj will stare him down after dismissing him. I am sure that's on Suryavanshi's mind and Siraj might get the worst of Suryavanshi. It was against GT that he scored a century last season," Srikkanth concluded.