Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi lit up the Indian Premier League on Monday, smashing multiple records during his side’s thrilling chase against Gujarat Titans. The 14-year-old prodigy hammered a sensational century off just 35 balls, becoming the fastest Indian and the youngest player ever to reach a hundred in IPL history.
Suryavanshi surpassed Yusuf Pathan’s 14-year-old record of a 37-ball century (for RR vs Mumbai Indians in 2010) and eclipsed Manish Pandey’s feat as the youngest IPL centurion — Pandey had scored his ton at the age of 19 years and 253 days back in 2009. Vaibhav, at just 14 years and 32 days, has now set a new benchmark for teenage excellence in the league.
The southpaw from Bihar didn’t just stop at IPL records. He also became the youngest centurion in T20 cricket globally, breaking Maharashtra’s Vijay Zol’s record (18 years, 118 days, in 2013).
Suryavanshi unleashed his fury early in the innings, smashing veteran Ishant Sharma for 28 runs in the fourth over, and later took debutant Karim Janat for 30 runs in the tenth over. His whirlwind knock of 101 from 38 balls eventually came to an end at the hands of Prasidh Krishna, but not before he had left an indelible mark on IPL history.
Earlier, Gujarat Titans posted an imposing 209 for 4, riding on a classy 84 off 50 balls from captain Shubman Gill and a rapid unbeaten 50 off 26 balls from Jos Buttler. Gill’s innings was a masterclass in placement and timing, peppered with five boundaries and four sixes, while Buttler’s brutal finishing, featuring four sixes and three fours, capitalized on Rajasthan’s weak bowling attack.
Despite Gujarat’s strong total, it was Suryavanshi’s fearless brilliance that stole the limelight, setting the stage for a new era of young talent in world cricket.
