14-year-old Rajasthan Royals prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi broke several records as he scored 101 runs off just 38 deliveries against Gujarat Titans to play one of the best knocks in the IPL.
That he is just 14 years old makes the knock even more special. His knock became the talking point for RR in a match they had to win. Vaibhav's heroics with the bat ensured that they are still alive in the tournament.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion in the IPL and the fastest Indian batter to score a century in the tournament. He overtook Yusuf Pathan, who scored a century off just 37 balls against Mumbai Indians in 2010. The southpaw got to the landmark in just 35 balls.
Ravi Shastri Calls Vaibhav's Moment Of History
Vaibhav made the world take notice of him in his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants. He hit a six off the first ball that he faced. He scored 34 runs off 20 balls against LSG, followed by a 16-run knock against RCB. In just his third match, he broke several records and made a few on his own in Jaipur.
Meanwhile, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri, who covered his maiden IPL century as a broadcaster, spoke to the ICC on the youngster's knock and the road ahead for the 14-year-old.
"I think the first shot he ever played (against Lucknow), that would have taken everyone's breath away. "But he's young, just let him play. I would say just let him play a bit because it's at that age, there's bound to be failure as well. "It's how he handles failure, as people will come up with new things," Shastri told host Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review.
There Will Be Lots Of Short Stuff Thrown At Him: Ravi Shastri On Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Challenge
The former Indian coach further said that bowlers will target him with the short ball in the upcoming games, and how he responds will be the real test for him. He hit Ishant Sharma, the veteran Indian pacer, for three sixes as he went for 28 runs off his second over. Vaibhav's array of shots surprised the commentators who called the moment.
"There'll be lots of short stuff thrown at him the next time he comes out to bat because when you tonk someone's first ball for six, then you show no mercy. Then you don't care whether he's 14 years old or 12 years old or 20 years old. The menu is the same that you dish out. So, he'll have to get used to that and once we see him handling that then you can make a proper judgement."
Courtesy of his knock, RR is still alive in the tournament with six points from 10 games. Had they lost this game, they would have been the first team to be eliminated from IPL 2025. Royals take on Mumbai Indians in their next game on May 1.
Also Read: Top 5 youngest players to debut in IPL ft. Vaibhav Suryavanshi
