IPL 2025: Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s knock rekindles memories of Sachin Tendulkar’s early brilliance

Dubai: Indian teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been the talk of the town ever since Rajasthan Royals picked him at the Indian Premier League 2025 auction. On debut, the left-hander showed why: smashing Shardul Thakur for a six off the first ball he faced and proving that the hype around him is very real.

The 14-year-old produced a scintillating knock to chase down a stiff target against Gujarat Titans on Monday, etching his name into the record books as the youngest and fastest Indian to score an IPL century.

Suryavanshi’s stunning 101-run innings, laced with 11 towering sixes and seven boundaries, saw him surpass Manish Pandey (19y 253d), Rishabh Pant (20y 218d) and Devdutt Padikkal (20y 289d) to become the youngest centurion in tournament history — achieving the feat at just 14 years and 32 days.

What was even more eye-popping was the manner in which he got his runs: 94 out of his 101 came through boundaries. His 166-run stand alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal powered Rajasthan Royals to a commanding eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

It was a day to remember. The way Suryavanshi dismantled the bowling attack evoked memories of a teenage Sachin Tendulkar’s fearless cameo in his first international outing.

Back in December 1989, during an exhibition match in Peshawar after an ODI between India and Pakistan was abandoned due to bad light, a 16-year-old Tendulkar stunned the crowd. Facing legends like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Abdul Qadir, Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 53 off just 18 balls. Qadir’s over read: 6, 0, 4, 6, 6, 6. A champion was born that day.

Similarly, Suryavanshi — with a baby-faced smile and an ice-cool temperament — announced himself to the world. Veteran bowlers Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Karim Janat and Washington Sundar bore the brunt of his fearless strokeplay.

While the bowling attack he faced may not match the legends Tendulkar encountered, the pressure of chasing a big target — and the effortless ease with which Suryavanshi handled it — made his achievement no less remarkable. His muted celebration after reaching the century in just 35 balls, bringing it up with a six off Rashid Khan, hinted at bigger ambitions ahead.

“It feels really good. It was my first century in the IPL in my third innings. What I’ve been practicing for the last three to four months, the result is showing. I don’t see the ground so much, just focus on the ball,” Suryavanshi told the official broadcasters after receiving the Player of the Match award.

“Batting with Jaiswal gives me confidence because he keeps very positive and gives me advice, so it becomes easy to bat with him. It is like a dream, to score a century in the IPL. No fear of facing any bowler, I am just focusing on playing.”

The fearless approach has already earned him accolades — including from none other than Tendulkar himself.

“Vaibhav’s fearless approach, bat speed, picking the length early, and transferring the energy behind the ball was the recipe behind a fabulous innings. End result: 101 runs off 38 balls,” posted Tendulkar.

Suryavanshi, who has a sweet tooth off the field, showed that he relishes fast bowling just as much.

If this innings was a taste of what’s to come, cricket fans around the world can look forward to many more delightful treats from the prodigy.