Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, playing for Rajasthan Royals, smashed 97 off 29 balls in the Indian Premier League eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, leading his team to a 47-run victory. The 15-year-old also broke Chris Gayle's record for most sixes in an IPL season, taking his tally to 65, surpassing the West Indian's 59 set in 2012.

Sooryavanshi's knock included 12 sixes, three of which came off Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins in a single over. He fell just short of Gayle's fastest IPL century record (30 balls), miscuing a shot to deep third. Despite missing the century, he was named player of the match.

Hyderabad assistant coach James Franklin called Sooryavanshi a "generational talent": "I don't think anyone's ever seen a talent like this. It's freakish what he's doing. To think he's potentially got 25 years left in his career is quite scary."

Sooryavanshi, who last year hit a six off his first IPL ball at age 14, has amassed 680 runs this season at a strike rate of 242.85. He said after the match: "I thought about the hundred after I got out. Hundreds will come, but the goal is to win trophies."

Cricket greats praised him: Sachin Tendulkar called his innings "spectacular", Michael Vaughan declared him "the best T20 opener in the world", and Ian Bishop said his stroke quality was "rare". Rajasthan will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, with the winner advancing to the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Source: www.aljazeera.com