Maybe it was rapidly nearing his bedtime. Perhaps someone had assured him of a supply of fresh, steaming jalebis that he seemingly enjoys so much (as Ravi Shastri kindly reminded us on air). Or possibly, he was simply doing what a typical 14-year-old would do – having a good time.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi turned an ordinary season of the Indian Premier League into an incredible event on Monday night. At the age of 14 years and 32 days, he became the youngest player to score a century in representative T20 cricket. Take a moment to absorb that. 14 years and 32 days. His blazing hundred, off just 35 balls, is the quickest IPL century by an Indian and the second fastest overall, trailing only Chris Gayle and his 30-ball fireworks. Welcome to the realm of serious cricket, Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

Quickly, think about what you were doing at 14. I recall what I was up to – watching Kapil Dev’s India secure the 60-over World Cup at Lord’s in 1983. Just witnessing it brought an exhilarating rush. What must Vaibhav (let’s refrain from addressing him as Suryavanshi, at least for now) be experiencing?

His first ball in IPL cricket, bowled by Shardul Thakur, was sent over wide long-off for six. That occurred on April 19, during his debut for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants. A little more than a week later, he hit 11 sixes. Almost all of them went precisely where he aimed, the highlight being an incredible backfoot punch off Prasidh Krishna that soared over the long-off boundary. Gujarat Titans might have believed that 209 for four was a winning score today; within half an hour, a baby-faced assassin shattered that assumption, dismantling an all-international attack with a fierce assault that was breathtaking.

His partner during an explosive start of 166 is also a young talent, but Yashasvi Jaiswal may have felt the immense pressure of his 23 years as his 14-year-old teammate pounded Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma and Prasidh and Washington Sundar and Karim Janat and stand-in captain Rashid Khan to all corners of the Sawai Man Singh Stadium. The supporters of the Jaipur-based team, disheartened after three consecutive games where their heroes snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, celebrated with enthusiasm. In the dugout, the typically composed Rahul Dravid was fidgeting and smiling and then grinning and beaming. When Vaibhav smashed Rashid over mid-wicket for the last of those 11 sixes that brought him to his hundred, Dravid momentarily forgot about his Achilles’ injury that has limited him to a wheelchair and crutches for nearly two months, raising his arms in joy and shouting ‘Yes, yes’ with a fervor that was both unexpected and charming.

That’s what young lads can do, you know. Vaibhav is a couple of years younger than Dravid’s younger son Anvay, so it is inevitable, even within a head coach-promising ward set-up, that the former Indian captain’s paternal instincts wouldn’t have surfaced. Dravid will surely feel the need more than ever before to continue to be Vaibhav’s life coach too, to ensure that he has his feet firmly on the ground and doesn’t get carried away after an innings of a lifetime.

And to think that, several months back, Dravid felt the recently turned teenager was too young to be playing even Under-19 cricket!

When Vaibhav Suryavanshi was not allowed to play vs Australia U19

Vaibhav caught the attention of junior national selection panel chairman VS Thilak Naidu, the previous Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter, during a Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-19 match in Chandigarh a year and a half ago, when he was merely 12. He appeared 12 but batted like someone much older and physically tougher, hitting the ball effortlessly against competitors significantly older than he was. Naidu’s panel, with the support of VVS Laxman, the primary figure at the National Cricket Academy (now the Centre of Excellence), expedited the boy’s advancement, and although he was not selected for the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa in early 2024, they continued to encourage him.

Vaibhav was excluded from the one-dayers against a visiting Australia Under-19 squad last September so that he could concentrate on improving his fielding but participated in the following two ‘Test’ matches, marking his debut with a 62-ball 104 at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. Unfazed by pace and bounce, he bombarded the Chepauk outfield with 14 fours (in addition to hitting four sixes). By that point, he had debuted for Bihar in all three formats at the senior level.

He had played only one T20 match for his state at the time of the big IPL auction in Jeddah in November, but that didn’t prevent the Royals from offering ₹1. 1 crore, making the then 13-year-old the youngest to possess an IPL contract. Only the first of many ‘youngests,’ clearly.

Read Also: Overcome with Joy, Rahul Dravid Jumps Out of Wheelchair as Vaibhav Suryavanshi Smashes IPL Century

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