RR’s Wonder-Kid Vaibhav Suryavanshi Smashes Record
In a night that will go down in IPL folklore, Rajasthan Royals’ 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi produced a staggering performance, smashing the fastest-ever IPL century by an Indian. Chasing 210 against Gujarat Titans in a must-win match to stay in the playoff race, Suryavanshi blazed to his hundred off just 35 balls, ultimately departing for a breathtaking 101 off 38 deliveries. Rajasthan Royals had surged to 170/1 in just 12 overs at the time of his dismissal.
Suryavanshi’s innings was a symphony of fearless strokeplay and maturity far beyond his years. He reached his half-century in only 17 balls — the fastest fifty of the season — before accelerating even further. The historic moment arrived when he hammered a six over mid-wicket, cementing his name in the record books as the youngest player ever to hit an IPL century and recording the quickest ton by an Indian in tournament history.
The match itself had seen fireworks even before Suryavanshi’s heroics. Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill had earlier led from the front, scoring a commanding 84, while Jos Buttler fired a quick 26-ball half-century against his former franchise. However, it was the young prodigy from Bihar who stole the spotlight in emphatic fashion. So relentless was his assault that Titans skipper Gill was substituted off the field, with Rashid Khan taking over the leadership duties during the onslaught.
Suryavanshi’s meteoric rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Just months ago, in November 2024, the cricketing world took notice when Rajasthan Royals secured him at the IPL auction for a staggering ₹1.10 crore. Then only 13 years old, he became the youngest player ever to be signed by an IPL franchise, edging out Delhi Capitals in a heated bidding war.
Hailing from Samastipur in Bihar, the left-handed top-order batter had already made headlines in youth and domestic cricket. His exploits include a record-breaking century for India Under-19 against Australia Under-19, where he hammered a 58-ball hundred — the fastest ever by an Indian in youth Test matches. He also etched his name into domestic cricket’s archives with a sensational unbeaten 332 in the Randhir Verma Tournament.
Trained by his father and coach, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, who recognised his talent when he was just five, Vaibhav’s journey has been built on hard work and resilience. A first-class debut for Bihar at just 12 years and 284 days in the Ranji Trophy further underlined his prodigious ability, followed by a T20 debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
A devoted admirer of Brian Lara, Suryavanshi has also benefited from the mentorship of former India opener Wasim Jaffer, with whom he struck up a bond during a youth tournament in Bangladesh. Known for his explosive batting and nerves of steel, he is already being hailed as one of India’s brightest future stars.
With the guidance of Rajasthan Royals’ seasoned coaching staff, including cricket legend Rahul Dravid, Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s dream of wearing the senior Indian jersey seems not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’. His record-breaking feat against Gujarat Titans is only the beginning of what promises to be a glittering career.
History has been made — and Indian cricket has found its next wonder-kid.
