IPL: 14-Year-Old Phenom Vaibhav Suryavanshi Smashes Second-Fastest Century in Tournament History
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Fourteen-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi stunned the cricket world with a blazing 35-ball century on Monday, powering the Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling win over the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League.
The schoolboy, signed at just 13 in the last auction, was making only his third appearance in the world’s premier T20 franchise tournament—already remembered for smashing the very first ball of his debut for six.
Opening the batting alongside Indian star Yashasvi Jaiswal, he showcased his immense potential by blasting a breathtaking 101 off just 38 balls, registering the second-fastest century in the tournament's history.
Only West Indian legend Chris Gayle has recorded a faster IPL century than Suryavanshi, who raced past the marks set by Yusuf Pathan (37 balls), David Miller (38), Travis Head (39), and England’s Will Jacks (41).
Suryavanshi hammered 11 sixes and seven fours in a stunning assault against a top-tier bowling lineup that included former world No. 1 Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and seasoned Indian internationals Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, and Prasidh Krishna.
He brought up his century by launching Khan’s mystery spin high over the midwicket boundary, and though he was dismissed by Krishna just three balls later, his place in the history books was already assured.
Jaiswal embraced the young player as he walked off the field, followed by a warm gesture from the incoming batter Nitish Rana. The Gujarat fielders also showed commendable sportsmanship, with many stepping forward to shake his hand as he acknowledged the applause from the crowd.
"The young man will walk off the field to a standing ovation," said former India captain Ravi Shastri during commentary. "What an innings it's been."
'Dream' IPL century for fearless Suryavanshi
“It feels amazing. Scoring my first IPL century in just my third innings is something special,” said Suryavanshi. “All the hard work I’ve put in over the past three to four months is finally paying off.
“Honestly, it feels like a dream to reach a hundred in the IPL.
“There’s no fear—I'm not thinking about anything else. My focus is purely on playing my game.”
His batting partner, Jaiswal, who contributed a crucial 70 off 40 balls to seal Rajasthan’s win, had high praise for the young star.
“That was an outstanding innings—one of the best I’ve witnessed,” Jaiswal said. “He was phenomenal today.
“The shots he played were brilliant. It’s clear he’s been putting in the work at practice. He’s got the skill, the mindset, and the temperament. I truly wish him all the best for the future.”
Suryavanshi made headlines as the youngest player ever bought in an IPL auction, securing a £105,000 deal with the Rajasthan Royals.
His selection came on the heels of a blistering 58-ball century for India U19s against Australia U19s during an unofficial Test in Chennai. Since then, he has continued to impress with U19 half-centuries against Sri Lanka and the UAE, along with a quickfire 71 off 42 balls for Bihar in a domestic 50-over match against Baroda.
Born in 2011, Suryavanshi set another unique milestone by becoming the first player born after the IPL’s inception in 2008 to be picked in the tournament.
Previously, the record for the youngest IPL debut belonged to Prayas Rai Burman, who played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2019 at 16 years and 154 days. On the international front, Afghanistan's Mujeeb Ur Rahman remains the youngest overseas player in the league, having debuted for Punjab Kings at 17 in 2018.