On April 19 (Saturday), at 14 year and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest ever debutant in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he walked out to bat for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants.
He hit a six off the first ball he faced, becoming one of only ten cricketers to ever achieve this feat. The left-handed batter began his IPL season by effortlessly clearing the ropes off Shardul Thakur’s delivery and hitting a spectacular six.
And just days after his dream debut, on Monday (April 28), Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed the second-fastest century in the IPL history off just 35 balls against Gujarat Titans and also the fastest fifty this seasoin. He achieved this milestone in just 17 balls.
Suryavanshi scripted history as he became the youngest-ever cricketer to hit a hundred in T20 cricket. At 14 years and 32 days, he broke the previous record held by Vijay Zol, who was 18 years and 118 days when he hit a ton in 2013.
Following his knock, the cricketing world lauded the youngster for his phenomenal innings. India cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X, "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!!".
Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh highlighted his ability to take down some of the best bowlers in the world during his knock. "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!" Yuvraj wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Yusuf Pathan, whose record for the fastest IPL century, Suryavanshi broke, also reacted to the youngster's achievement. "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 Rajasthan Royals, just like I did. There’s truly something magical about this franchise for youngsters. Long way to go, champ!" he wrote.
The moment hehithis century wassimply magical— it wasn'tonlythe fans and his teammates in the dugoutrejoicing;even Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravidstoodupfrom his wheelchair tocheer for the youngster.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Suryavanshi said, "It feels really good. It was my first century in the IPL in my third innings. What I've been practicing for the last three-four months, the result is showing. I don't see the ground so much, just focus on the ball. There is no fear. I do not think much about the bowlers, I just focus on playing."
Born on March 27, 2011, in Bihar, Vaibhav is the youngest player to be part of this year’s IPL. He made his first-class debut for Bihar in January 2024, at just 12 years and 284 days old.
During his debut, Vaibhav scored 71 off 42 balls against Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, becoming the youngest Indian to score a List-A fifty.
On the international stage, Vaibhav set the record for the fastest youth Test century by an Indian, scoring a blazing 58-ball ton against Australia in Chennai. He also played a pivotal role in India’s run to the ACC U19 Asia Cup final, contributing two crucial half-centuries.