Kolkata:Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player to hit an IPL hundred and the second fastest ever, doing so off 35 balls, to crush Gujarat Titans by eight wickets following a spectacular chase of 209 that Rajasthan Royals achieved in 15. 5 overs in Jaipur on Monday.

After scoring his first IPL fifty in just 17 balls, Raghuvanshi kept up his impressive performance, smashing an incredible 11 sixes and seven fours in his 101 before finally being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna in the 12th over. By that time, unprecedented scenes had unfolded as Royals scored 87 runs in the Powerplay, reached 100 runs in the eighth over, and averaged 14 runs per over by the time Raghuvanshi was out. Ultimately, Royals cruised to a victory that keeps their tournament hopes alive.

Nine times out of ten, wicketkeepers can catch high balls with their eyes shut. However, there’s one instance when a catch, appearing simple, is dropped. On the seventh ball of the chase, Jos Buttler focused intently on the ball, racing across the field to position himself for the catch after instructing other fielders to clear the area, only to just touch it with his fingertips. What followed was calculated chaos, with Yashasvi Jaiswal taking advantage of the opportunity to smash Ishant Sharma over wide long-on for six before scoring 13 runs off the next over from Mohammed Siraj.

Suryavanshi, however, took aim at the Titans’ pride, nearly ridiculing their bowling while racing toward an extraordinary hundred. His first target was Ishant, who had been playing IPL long before Suryavanshi was born. He hit him for a six, then stepped back in the crease to launch another six over midwicket, as Suryavanshi clearly sought to match Jaiswal. He accomplished that and much more. Displaying excellent footwork, moving deep into the crease to adjust the ball's length, Suryavanshi aimed to hit the ball far and across.

Washington Sundar was targeted, Rashid Khan was driven down the ground, and Karim Janat was taken apart for 30 runs in his first over as Suryavanshi geared up for a magnificent hundred. Fittingly, it came against Rashid, as the young player went on his back foot to pull the finest T20 spinner over deep mid-wicket for a colossal six. It seemed like it was Suryavanshi’s day.

The Titans' batting appeared to be in good form initially. The top three of Gujarat Titans had always batted until the 17th over in this IPL, and they maintained that pattern in Jaipur as well. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan again established a significant opening partnership before Buttler unleashed on the struggling Royals bowlers. It was nothing we haven't seen before, yet it is surprising how consistently the Titans have performed. This time, however, Royals likely bear more blame than other teams, especially for dropping Sudharsan in the second over, with Hetmyer missing a straightforward catch at extra cover.

His innings was the typical slow-burn type, providing the Titans with solid footing after starting with a series of boundaries. However, once the Powerplay concluded, Sudharsan settled in as he tends to do, finding the gaps against the spinners. Gill, on the other hand, shifted into high gear once he reached the middle overs, hitting Sandeep Sharma for a six over midwicket before moving across the stumps to flick pacer Yudhvir Singh for another six over deep square leg.

By that point, Buttler had joined the action, compensating for another sluggish start by attacking Wanindu Hasaranga’s leg breaks. When Hasaranga bowled slower deliveries, Buttler slog swept him for six over square leg. When the ball was fuller and wider, Buttler advanced down the pitch and powered it straight over his head for six. Following another four, a bewildered Hasaranga delivered a half tracker, giving Buttler the opportunity to rock back and score six more. Only three sixes were hit in the final five overs, yet the Titans had no trouble accumulating 60 runs. Ultimately, nothing else mattered because Suryavanshi batted, and brilliantly at that.

Read Also: How Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Parents Sacrificed Everything to Fuel Their Son’s Cricket Dream

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