Cricket wonderkid Vaibhav Suryavanshi has taken the IPL by storm and has reached his latest remarkable milestone. The teenager became the youngest player to earn an IPL contract when the Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Capitals in a fierce bidding war last year – when he was still only 13.
Now aged 14 and batting alongside India’s Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryavanshi hit a magnificent century off only 35 balls as the Royals successfully chased down Gujarat Titans’ 209 with 25 balls to spare. Incredibly, it was the fastest ton ever scored by an Indian player in the tournament. His century included a staggering 11 sixes.
Suryavanshi easily navigated balls from India Test fast-bowler Mohammed Siraj, 105-Test seamer Ishant Sharma, and Rashid Khan, one of he world’s best white-ball spinners.
The 14-year-old is earning a huge amount of money. When he was signed by the Royals, he penned an IPL deal worth a reported £105,000. However, Suryavanshi remains humble about his experiences in senior cricket so far.
He said afterwards: “It is a very good feeling. It’s my first hundred in the IPL and it’s my third innings. The result has shown here after the practice before the tournament. I just see the ball and play.
“Batting with Jaiswal is good, he tells me what to do and he infuses positive things. It has been a dream to get a 100 in the IPL and today it materialised. There is no fear. I don’t think much, I just focus on playing.”
Suryvanshi has been on the radar of cricket fans for some time. And on his IPL debut two weeks ago, he smashed Shardul Thakur for six. His performances at an early age have seen him compared to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
However, former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has warned the youngster not to get carried away with the money and records.
“I have seen many players who come, get fame from one or two matches, then they do not do anything, because they think that they have become a star player,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
“Look at Virat Kohli. He started at 19 and has now played all 18 IPL seasons. That’s what Vaibhav should aim for. But if he thinks he’s made it just because he hit a six off his first ball and earned a crore, he might not be around next season.”
