Vaibhav Suryavanshi has recorded the highest strike-rate among all batters in this season’s IPL.
Why settle for a single when you can clear the ropes?
That was the philosophy of 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, as he once asked one of his early coaches during his initial foray into professional cricket.
“Vaibhav was dispatching deliveries for sixes and fours at will,” remembers Manish Ojha, a former Jharkhand first-class cricketer.
“At the end of the net session, I told him: ‘Vaibhav, why are you only looking for boundaries? State matches last four days, and singles are crucial.’ He simply responded: ‘Sir, if I can hit a six, why take a single?’ That’s when it was clear he was beyond his age group,” Ojha recalls.
On Monday, Suryavanshi’s penchant for sixes captivated cricket’s grandest stage, as he became the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket.
Batting for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans, the young talent unleashed a dazzling 38-ball hundred featuring 11 sixes and seven fours, dominating some of the world’s most renowned bowlers.
Seasoned international bowlers, including Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, and Rashid Khan, found themselves under pressure, reminiscent of the junior nets where Suryavanshi stood apart from his peers.
14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi makes history in the IPL
‘Remember the name’ — Cricket reacts to Suryavanshi’s century
Suryavanshi’s arrival in the IPL has been nothing short of spectacular, launching his career with a six from his maiden delivery and registering a century in only his third innings.
Hailing from Samastipur, a small district in Bihar, Suryavanshi’s early promise was identified by his father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, a local-level cricketer who began coaching his son at home due to an absence of cricket academies in the region.
Recognizing his son’s potential, Sanjeev gave up his shop business and, when Vaibhav was eight, began making the three-hour journey to Patna for proper training opportunities.
“Many questioned his decision, but he never doubted his son’s talent,” said Robin Singh, a Bihar-based coach.
“His father sold part of the family land so Vaibhav could access the best facilities, while his mother would rise before dawn to ensure he and the coaches were well-fed,” Singh added.
Vaibhav immediately impressed his new mentors.
“From our first coaching sessions, his ability to pick up new skills so rapidly set him apart,” Ojha explained.
“Most cricketers practise well but struggle under match pressure. Vaibhav, however, delivered precise execution even in high-stakes games,” he added.
His composure, stroke play and game awareness always marked him out as precocious.
“Within days of training with his age group, it was clear he needed greater challenges. So, he began practising with senior players,” Singh recalled.
Suryavanshi would train daily from 7:30am to 4pm, facing more than 450 balls each day. By 12, his coaches were ready to back him as a professional prospect.
Featuring for Bihar’s under-19 team, he compiled prodigious run tallies and secured a place in India’s Under-19 squad. At just 13, he smashed a 58-ball century in a youth Test against Australia.
He was quickly drafted into Bihar’s Ranji Trophy team and became the youngest ever to earn an IPL contract when Rajasthan acquired him at the 2024 auction for £103,789 (1.1 crore rupees).
“Vaibhav idolises Brian Lara; his approach is aggressive and fearless—he always plays the ball on its merit,” added Ojha.
“We always hoped he would make it to the IPL, and our excitement doubled when Rajasthan Royals secured him given the presence of Rahul Dravid on their coaching team.”
Singh reflected: “I once told him, anyone can debut young, but true greatness is becoming the youngest centurion. After his landmark hundred, he called and said, ‘Sir, youngest centurion.’ Words cannot express my pride.”
Nearly half of Suryavanshi’s IPL runs (46%) come through the mid-wicket and long-on areas, and he has excelled against pace, scoring more than 100 runs at a strike rate of 243 this season.
Already, Suryavanshi has been nicknamed “Boss Baby” by fans, drawing parallels to Chris Gayle, the “Universe Boss.”
Gayle still holds the IPL record for the fastest century (30 balls in 2013), but Suryavanshi is the youngest to achieve the feat, surpassing Vijay Zol’s previous age record for a T20 hundred.
Sachin Tendulkar, cricket’s leading run-scorer, made his national debut aged 16. Suryavanshi’s former coaches believe he has the potential to follow in those footsteps soon.
“For a boy from rural Bihar to reach the IPL is extraordinary. The cricketing world is watching, and he clearly knows how to seize opportunity. An international cap may not be far away,” Singh stated.
Suryavanshi, who recently received nearly £9,000 from his state government following his IPL heroics, is now looking ahead to facing title hopefuls Mumbai Indians and Jasprit Bumrah, one of the world’s leading bowlers, on Thursday.
Listen live to Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, and via the BBC Sport website and app.
In India, Suryavanshi’s record-breaking century has dominated national headlines.
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