Jaipur:
Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi created history on Monday, becoming the youngest centurion in IPL history at just 14 years and 32 days. After his breathtaking knock of 101 runs off just 38 balls against Gujarat Titans, the young left-hander said his focus was simply on the ball — not the bowler.
“I don’t really look at who’s bowling. I just watch the ball and react,” Suryavanshi told the broadcaster after his innings.
Such was the impact of his innings that even Rajasthan Royals’ injured head coach, Rahul Dravid, in a moment of pure excitement, forgot about his crutches and stood up unaided, cheering the teenager enthusiastically from the dugout.
Suryavanshi’s blistering century came up in just 35 balls, as he tore apart an international-quality attack featuring Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, and Karim Janat. His knock included 11 towering sixes and 7 crisp boundaries, leaving the Titans bowlers with no answers.
Reflecting on his innings, the humble young star said,
“It’s a wonderful feeling. This is my first IPL hundred and it came in just my third innings. I’ve been practicing hard for the past 3-4 months specifically for the IPL, and I’m happy to see the hard work paying off.”
Batting alongside the experienced Yashasvi Jaiswal, who remained unbeaten on 70, Suryavanshi stitched a 166-run partnership in just 12 overs. He credited Jaiswal for helping him stay calm in the middle.
“I really enjoy batting with Yashasvi bhai. He keeps talking positively and guides me on what to do next, which makes batting much easier,” he said.
Reactions from the Camp
Riyan Parag, Rajasthan’s stand-in captain, was all praise for the young prodigy.
“It was simply incredible. We’ve spent two months with him, and we knew what he could do. But to pull off something like this against a world-class bowling attack — words can’t describe it.”
Parag also mentioned the change in team mindset after a few disappointing outings.
“We wanted to finish the game earlier, play with intent. We worked on it in practice, and today it all clicked.”
He emphasized how watching IPL games is itself a learning experience, adding,
“Whether it’s watching how RCB plays or how Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) bhai goes about his business — every day you learn something new.”
Yashasvi Jaiswal, too, couldn’t hide his admiration for Suryavanshi’s knock.
“It was one of the best innings I’ve ever seen. Incredible composure for someone so young. I just kept telling him to keep going. He practises really well, works hard on his game. He has the right temperament, and I truly hope he continues to do this for us.”
Jaiswal, who stayed till the end to see the Royals through, said the team had been discussing the need for someone to finish matches after a few recent close defeats.
“Luckily, today I was able to stay till the end and contribute.”
Titans’ Take
Gujarat Titans’ skipper Shubman Gill, who himself struck a fine 84 off 50 balls earlier in the day, admitted it was simply Suryavanshi’s day.
“His hitting was exceptional. He completely changed the game during the powerplay. Full credit to him and the Royals,” Gill said.
Reflecting on their own performance, he added,
“Sure, we could have done a few things differently, but that’s easier said than done after the game. A few chances came our way and we didn’t capitalize.”