The 14-year-old Slugger who has just stunned a billion sports fans

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Joshua Robinson, The Wall Street Journal 4 min Read 30 April 2025, 07:08 pm Ist Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit one of the fastest centuries that Twenty20 Cricket has ever seen and hit 100 runs of only 35 balls. (Reuters) Summary The cricket-fooled nation of India was left enchanting when Vaibhav Suryavanshi announced his talent to the world by becoming the youngest man who beat a century in the Twenty20 match. Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit one of the fastest centuries twenty20 cricket has ever seen, and hit 100 runs of only 35 balls. According to everything, the teenager took only three dozen shakes on Monday night. But it was all it needed for a 14-year-old man in Jaipur, India, to write his own history in one of the world’s most popular sports. With the attitude of a player who was twice his age, Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit one of the fastest centuries that Twenty20 cricket has ever seen, and hit 100 runs from just 35 balls. It was only the third batting appearance of Suryavanshi’s professional career and the most cricket-Mad country on earth could not quite believe what he was watching. It was as if an eighth class fell in the big leagues and immediately threw some large slams. Even Sachin Tendulkar, one of the biggest players who has ever picked up a Willow Bat, feels compelled to express his admiration to his 41 million followers on social media. “The fearless approach of Vaibhav, Bat Speed ​​… and transferring the energy behind the ball was the recipe behind a fantastic turn,” he wrote on X. “Well played!” The most beautiful part of his achievement is that Suryavanshi did not exactly snack in his backyard. He pulled off his performance under the bright lights of the Indian Premier League, the country’s most popular sports competition, where lavishly funded teams are in the shorter T20 format of the game. Unlike competitions in the Staid World of Test Cricket, where players wear white jerseys, tea and games relax over the course of five days, IPL matches unfold in rogue atmosphere and draw big television audiences. They only take as long as a baseball game. So IPL superstars tend to be the aggressive, free-swinging fighters who jump over the bowlers and rapes as fast as humanly possible. And in more than one way, Suryavanshi has already proven that he should not waste once. “The strips of play is one thing: batting like a mature man is striking enough,” says Lawrence Booth, editor of the annual cricket Bible, known as the Wisden Almanac. “But to perform as if the pressure of the IPL was imaginary is something else.” For fans in India, the Suryavanshi shooting star was on his way for a while. He made headlines in November, at the age of 13, when he became the youngest player to ever earn an IPL contract. His talents even caused a bidding war at the IPL auction, with the Rajasthan Royals imposing about $ 130,000 to secure his services for the season. He did not take long to live the hype. Suryavanshi blew the first ball he saw high outside the border for six runs-the equivalent of performing for his first bat with a large league and immediately sent it over the outdoor fence. “We knew what he was capable of and what kind of shots he could play,” coach Royals Vikram Rathour said after Suryavanshi ended Monday’s 101 -run win from 38 balls. “But to do it in front of this kind of crowd and in a situation like this, at a very good bowling attack, I think it was really special.” As with any brilliant young wonderful child, there have been questions about the exact age of Suryavanshi. In one video of 2023, he mentions that he would turn 14 in September of that year, according to reports in India. Which would post him at the age of 15, not 14. But the crazyest thing is that, even if his age was with as much as two years, he would still own the record as the youngest player to make his IPL debut. Until this season, the mark on Prayas Ray Barman, who was 16 years and 157 days old, belonged to Wisden. What cricket observers are undoubtedly about is that Suryavanshi has a bright future before him. In addition, they are also excited about what his arrival represents. Suryavanshi’s rise may just indicate a shift in the way India brings through cricket talent. Although the country’s player pool has never had a number of numbers, it has historically been a major challenge to identify the most promising youngsters from across the country and quickly find them. “A one-sports nation of 1.4 billion people should dominate the sport,” Booth says. “But just over the past decade or so they have sorted out their exploration methods … players who once slipped through the net are now picked up.” “It’s a wonderful moment for India,” he added, “and a narrow moment for everyone else.” Catch all the business news, market news, news on news and latest news about Live Mint. Catch the direct action on IPL 2024 with the full IPL schedule, and their IPL points tab, also know who is currently holding the IPL Purple Cap and IPL Orange Cap. Download Themint News -APP to get daily market updates. More Topics #ipl Mint Specialies