Apr 28, 2025, 06:32 PM
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, has become the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket after smashing a hundred off 35 balls in IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Gujarat Titans (GT) in only his third game.
It was also the second-quickest IPL hundred, only behind Chris Gayle’s 30-ball effort for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors in 2013.
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Suryavanshi got to the landmark with a pulled six over midwicket off Rashid Khan, who stood in as GT’s captain during their defence after Shubman Gill was subbed out. That six followed a sequence of 6,4,6,4,4,6 in a 30-run over bowled by Afghanistan allrounder Karim Janat, who was making his IPL debut.
Watch – Highlights of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking hundred on Jiohotstar (India only)
A whopping 94 of his 101 runs came via boundaries. He finished with 11 sixes, the joint most by an Indian in an IPL innings. His intent and explosive power against an attack that included seven international bowlers was sensational. By the time he was bowled by Prasidh Krishna for 101 off 38 balls, RR had all but wrapped up a chase of 211. His opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, who remained unbeaten on 70 off 40 balls, completed the demolition job, along with his captain Riyan Parag, with eight wickets and 25 balls to spare.
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“It feels really good. It was my first century in the IPL in my third innings,” Suryavanshi said after winning the Player-of-the-match award. “What I’ve been practicing for the last three-four months, the result is showing. I don’t see the ground so much, just focus on the ball. Batting with him [Jaiswal] gives me confidence because he keeps very positive and giving me advice, so it becomes easy to bat with him. It is like a dream, to score a century in the IPL. No, no fear. I’m not thinking about all that [bowlers targetting him]. I am just focusing on playing.”
Suryavanshi might not have even played had RR’s regular captain Sanju Samson been available. After Samson was out with an abdominal injury, Suryavanshi slotted into his opening spot, scoring 34, 16 and 101 in his first three IPL innings. In the lead-up to the IPL, he had also hit a 58-ball hundred, the fastest by an Indian in youth Tests, against Australia Under-19s. Suryavanshi also scored two half-centuries in the Under-19 Asia Cup and boasts an unbeaten triple-century in an Under-19 tournament in Bihar.
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His potential caught the attention of RR, who acquired him for R 1.10 crore (US$0.13 million approx.) at the mega auction last November and worked with him at their high performance center.
“It was incredible,” Parag said after RR’s win. “We spent two months with him and we’ve seen what he can do, but coming out here in front of all these people against world-class bowlers that GT had…it was something you can’t really express in words.”
“We’ve been watching it in nets for last few months. We knew what he’s capable of and what kind of shots he can play. But to do it in front of this kind of crowd and in a situation like this, against a really, really good bowling attack, I think it was really special.”
Suryavanshi also wowed RR batting coach Vikram Rathour with his knock. “We’ve been watching it in nets for last few months,” Rathour said at his post-match press conference. “We knew what he’s capable of and what kind of shots he can play. But to do it in front of this kind of crowd and in a situation like this, against a really, really good bowling attack, I think it was really special.”
So, how does a 14-year-old generate so much power against capped international bowlers?
“As I said, he’s a special, special talent,” Rathour said. “He’s got a great downswing if you want to go into technique, in technical stuff, he’s got a great downswing. So that helps him generate this kind of power. And today, he just showed everybody actually how good he is.”
Rathour also offered an insight into his approach at the nets. “He is one guy who takes on Jofra [Archer] in the nets,” Rathour said. “Jofra is maybe one of the toughest bowlers to face in the nets because he is so awkward and he bowls quick. But he is the one who really bats against him and really takes him on.”
