What were you doing at 14?: Cricket fraternity hails T20's youngest centurion, Vaibhav Suryavanshi

New Delhi, April 29: Various notable cricket stars took to their social media to congratulate the 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest centurion in T20 cricket and the second fastest centurion in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history on Monday.

Suryavanshi took the cricketing world by storm, scoring a blistering 101 in just 38 balls, bringing up his century in just 35 balls to become the youngest T20 centurion at an age of 14 years and 32 days during the match against Gujarat Titans (GT) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday.

Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was in awe of the 14-year-old, hailing his "fearless approach, bat speed" and ability to "pick the length early".

"Vaibhav's fearless approach, bat speed, picking the length early, and transferring the energy behind the ball was the recipe behind a fabulous innings. End result: 101 runs off 38 balls. Well played!!," posted Tendulkar on X.

https://x.com/sachin_rt/status/1916913813049512178

India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav also posted, "Witnessed this carnage of an innings by this youngster. Absolutely insane!".

https://x.com/surya_14kumar/status/1916909688568058001

Former Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, who previously held the record for the fastest IPL ton by an Indian, scoring one in 37 balls for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), posted, "Many congratulations to young #VaibhavSuryavanshi for breaking my record of the fastest @IPL hundred by an Indian! Even more special to see it happen while playing for @rajasthanroyals, just like I did. There's truly something magical about this franchise for youngsters. Long way to go, champ!."

https://x.com/iamyusufpathan/status/1916905414463263114

Also, India's World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh hailed Vaibhav for "taking on the best bowlers in the world without blinking an eyelid".

"What were you doing at 14?!! This kid is taking on the best bowlers in the world without blinking an eyelid! Vaibhav Suryavanshi -- remember the name! Playing with a fearless attitude. Proud to see the next generation shine! #VaibhavSuryavanshi #GTvsRR," posted Yuvraj.

https://x.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1916904028983988449

His team, the Rajasthan Royals, also hailed the knock as "one for the ages".

https://x.com/rajasthanroyals/status/1916902762731692329

Former West Indies batter Ian Bishop also posted, "14 yr old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has bludgeoned an IPL century in 2025 off 35 deliveries. Remarkable."

https://x.com/irbishi/status/1916900246824566949

Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth also wrote, "At 14, most kids dream & eat Icecream. Vaibhav Suryavamshi delivers a fabulous 100 against one of the contenders for IPl! composure, class, and courage beyond his years. We are witnessing the rise of a phenom. Indian cricket's next superstar is here! #vaibhavsuryavanshi #GTvsRR".

https://x.com/KrisSrikkanth/status/1916907886871282089

During the run-chase of 210 runs, fans were treated to some insanely clean ball-striking from Vaibhav, who scored 101 in just 38 balls, with seven fours and 11 sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 265.79.

Vaibhav reached his century in 35 balls, which is the second-fastest century in IPL history, behind Chris Gayle's 30-ball ton against now-defunct Pune Warriors India for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) back in 2013. Vaibhav is now also the fastest Indian to score a century in the IPL.

The left-hander, at the age of 14 years and 32 days, is the youngest player to score a century in T20 cricket history, surpassing Vijay Zol ,who was 18 years and 118 days old while scoring a century for Maharashtra against Mumbai in 2013.

This is also the seventh-fastest century in T20 cricket, with the fastest one belonging to Sahil Chauhan of Estonia against Cyprus in 2024, coming in just 27 balls.

Suryavanshi also reached his fifty in just 17 balls, the fifth-fastest in league history, making him the youngest ever to score an IPL fifty.

Also, the 166-run stand between Vaibhav and Yashasvi Jaiswal is the highest partnership for any wicket for Rajasthan Royals, surpassing 155 by Jos Buttler & Devdutt Padikkal against DC at the Wankhede in 2022.

Vaibhav, who kickstarted his IPL career by slamming a sixer against Shardul Thakur on his very first ball in the competition, has now made 151 runs in three matches at an average of 75.50 and a strike rate of 222.05, with the best score of 101*.

During the IPL mega-auction last year, one of the biggest surprises that emerged was Suryavanshi becoming a Royal for Rs 1.1 crore. Born on March 27, 2011, in Bihar, Vaibhav is the youngest player on the list. He made his first-class debut for Bihar in January 2024 at just 12 years and 284 days old. Last year, he was part of India U19's match against Australia in Chennai, where he smashed a 58-ball century.

He also made his T20 debut for Bihar during the SMAT 2024 tournament, though he could not score much in his only outing. He was also the seventh-highest run-getter in the ACC Under 19 Asia Cup 2024-25. He scored 176 runs in 5 matches in the tournament with a highest score of 76*.

Coming to the match, GT was put to bat first by RR and half-centuries from skipper Shubman Gill (84 in 50 balls, with five fours and four sixes) and Jos Buttler (50* in 26 balls, with three fours and four sixes) were the top knocks as GT reached 209/4 in 20 overs, with Maheesh Theekshana (2/35) being the top bowler for RR.

In the run-chase, Jaiswal (70* in 40 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) and Vaibhav Suryanvanshi (101 in 38 balls, with seven fours and 11 sixes) blew the opposition out of the water, posting a quickfire 166-run stand in just 71 balls. Later, Riyan Parag (32* in 15 balls, with two fours and two sixes) played a quick cameo, guiding his team to a win in 15.5 overs.

RR is at the eighth spot, with three wins and seven losses, giving them six points. GT is at the third spot, with six wins and three losses, giving them 12 points.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.

This is insane talent! At 14 I was struggling with algebra homework and this kid is smashing international bowlers. Indian cricket's future looks bright 🔥

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Priya M.

While his talent is undeniable, I hope the media and fans don't put too much pressure on him. Let him develop at his own pace without unrealistic expectations.

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Arjun S.

That strike rate of 265 is just mind-blowing! The way he was picking lengths reminded me of young Sachin. Can't wait to see more of him in the coming years.

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Neha P.

What an innings! But let's not forget Yashasvi's contribution too - that partnership was pure fire. Rajasthan Royals have struck gold with these young talents 💛

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Vikram D.

I was at the stadium yesterday and the energy was electric! Every six from Vaibhav had the crowd going wild. Never seen anything like this from someone so young.

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Sanjay R.

While the performance was spectacular, I wonder if the IPL is the right place for 14-year-olds. The pressure and spotlight at that age can be overwhelming. Hope he gets proper guidance.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.