At just 14 years of age, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already dismantled some of the biggest names in international cricket — Mohammed Siraj, Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur — across just three IPL matches. With no pressure weighing him down, Vaibhav approached each innings with fearless intent. He respected their reputations but knew that anything bowled into his arc can go the distance.
On Monday, against the Gujarat Titans, he delivered a performance which scripted his name in the history books — smashing a blistering century off just 35 balls. In doing so, Vaibhav became both the youngest and the fastest Indian to score a century in IPL history. He also etched his name into the record books as the youngest player ever to score a T20 century in men's cricket — all at the age of 14.
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The signs were there when Vaibhav hit a six off the first ball against Shardul Thakur on IPL debut. That day, he scored a quickfire 34 against LSG, but against GT, his complete potential was on display and he struck 11 sixes.
"Wo mere lie normal tha kyuki main pahle bhi India U19 aur domestic cricket mein maar chuka hu pahle ball pe chakka. Toh mere andar koi pressure nahi tha ki main pahle 10 ball khel lu. Mere mind clear tha ki agar mere raidar mein ball ayi toh main marunga. (It was a normal thing for me. I have played Under-19 for India and also at the domestic level, where I have hit first ball sixes. I was not under pressure to play out the first 10 balls. In my mind I was clear that if the ball comes in my radar, I will hit it)," Vaibhav told IPLT20.com after he helped the Rajasthan Royals chase down 210 in 15.5 overs hammering 101 off 38 balls.
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"It was not like that I was thinking it's my first game. Yes, there was an international bowler (in front of me) and the stage was big but I was just playing my game," he said.
In just his third match in the high-stakes competition, he scored an incredible 94 runs in boundaries. This followed a fast-paced 34-run IPL debut, which came off 20 balls and included the first-ball six that put his cherubic face in the public eye.
The young player from Samastipur, Bihar, was born about three years after the IPL began, making him the first player younger than the league to smash an IPL ton.
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In order to support his development, Suryavanshi thanked his parents, Sanjeev and Aarti, for giving up their luxuries. "I am what I am because of my parents. My mother, for the sake of my practice schedule, wakes up at 3 in the morning after going to sleep at 11, sleeping barely three hours. She then prepares meals for me. My father left his work to support me. My elder brother is taking care of his work and the household is running with great difficulty. But papa is backing me," he said."...god ensures that those who work hard never fail. The results that we are seeing and the success that I am achieving is because of my parents."
The young player promised to maintain his composure in the face of attention and strive for a berth in the national squad.
"I want to contribute for India and I have to work hard for that. I cannot stop working hard till I achieve that level. I will try to do well for the country," he said.
After being taken on board after a trial, he was also grateful to the Rajasthan Royals management for giving him confidence at every crucial juncture.
"I was preparing for this moment for a long time and I am happy that it worked out the way I wanted. In the trials, I batted well and there was (batting coach) Vikram (Rathour) sir and (team manager) Romi (Bhinder) sir who said we will try to pick you in the team."
"They introduced me to (head coach) Rahul (Dravid) sir. To be trained by Rahul sir is a dream come true and I get a lot of support from the other support staff and senior players, they give me confidence that I can do it," he said. "They always tell me that I can win it for the team. There is no pressure of what will happen next because they motivate me," he added.
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