Table of Contents
In a historic moment for Indian cricket, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion in T20 history during Rajasthan Royals’ eight-wicket triumph over Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. The Bihar-born prodigy’s 38-ball 101, studded with 11 sixes and seven fours, rewrote record books and earned him a reward from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who hailed the teenager as “a new hope for Indian cricket.”
A seismic shift in cricket’s age barrier
Suryavanshi’s assault on seasoned international bowlers including Rashid Khan and Prasidh Krishna redefined precocity in professional sports. At 14 years and 32 days, the left-hander eclipsed Vijay Zol’s previous youth record (18 years) and registered the second-fastest IPL century ever (35 balls), trailing only Chris Gayle’s 30-ball blitz. His 166-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal showcased a generational baton-passing moment, as the schoolboy outperformed his senior partner’s 40-ball 70.
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium witnessed pure alchemy as Suryavanshi converted 94% of his runs through boundaries, including a six off Krishna’s hard-length delivery that left experts marvelling at his technical maturity. Even Rahul Dravid, India’s former coach, rose from his wheelchair in celebration – a symbolic endorsement of the teen’s epochal achievement.
Also READ: Top 5 fastest centuries in the history of IPL ft. Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar declares reward for Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Nitish’s reward announcement of INR 10 lakhs underscored Bihar’s emergence as an untapped talent hub. The CM revealed having met Suryavanshi and his father in 2024, presciently predicting greatness, Nitish took to X and wrote, “Congratulations and best wishes to Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Bihar, who became the youngest player (14 years) to score a century in the history of IPL. He has become a new hope for Indian cricket as a result of his hard work and talent. Everyone is proud of him. I met Mr Vaibhav Suryavanshi and his father in 2024, and at that time, I wished him a bright future. After his brilliant performance in IPL, I also congratulated him over the phone. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a young cricketer from Bihar, will also be given a prize money of Rs 10 lakh by the state government. I wish that Vaibhav creates new records for the Indian team in the future and brings glory to the country.”
Union Minister Chirag Paswan joined the chorus and tweeted, “On behalf of the party, I wish him all the best. He is a young talent and has made such a beautiful start at such a young age. His future is very bright.”
The prodigy’s journey – from an unbeaten 332 in U19 state cricket to becoming the seventh-youngest first-class debutant – now finds its crowning IPL moment. His 35-ball century demolished Yusuf Pathan’s 37-ball Indian record and marked the fastest IPL ton by an uncapped player. As Rajasthan Royals chase playoff glory, Suryavanshi’s emergence offers Indian cricket a rare talent capable of redefining batting paradigms.
Also READ: Top 5 youngest players to hit a century in the IPL ft. Vaibhav Suryavanshi
