Why did Vaibhav Suryavanshi get 500 missed calls in a day

Dubai: Scoring a century is impressive — doing it at 14, in your debut IPL season, is something else entirely.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the teenage prodigy, lit up Jaipur with the fastest T20 century by an Indian, dismantling the Gujarat Titans attack in a whirlwind 38-ball blitz.

From smashing a six off the very first ball he faced in the tournament against Lucknow Super Giants, to scoring a half-century against Chennai Super Kings — and then humbly touching Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s feet in the post-match handshake — the young batter has looked unfazed by the spotlight.

But one thing did catch him off guard: the sheer number of missed calls after his century on April 28.

In a candid conversation with Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid, Suryavanshi revealed how he stayed grounded after the innings that made global headlines.

“I received over 500 missed calls, but I had kept my phone switched off,” he said in a video uploaded by the IPL. “A lot of people were approaching me after the century, but I don’t like that. I try to stay away. I told you — I had my phone off for four days. I like to be around my family and a few close friends. That’s it.”

He also shared insights into his preparation and mindset, brushing off the idea of a “natural game.”

“I have been preparing for 3-4 years, and I saw the results. Whatever was missing, I worked on. Things that once looked tough became easy,” he said.

“There’s no such thing as a natural game — you have to play according to what the team needs and avoid doing too much. I need to stay in my strong zone and help the team win.”

Since that century, Suryavanshi has scored 252 runs in seven matches this season. But it’s his innings against Gujarat Titans — 101 off 38 balls — that remains the standout. His hundred, which came in just 35 deliveries, is now the second-fastest in IPL history and made him the youngest ever centurion in men’s T20 cricket.

While Dravid was full of praise for the teenager’s breakthrough season, he also offered a timely warning.

“It was a great season. Keep doing what you did — play well, train well. But remember: next year, all these bowlers will come more prepared against you,” Dravid said.

“So we too have to prepare, train hard, and develop more skills. Well done.”

Suryavanshi has taken the IPL by storm — but more importantly, he seems to have taken it in his stride. At an age when most are preparing for school exams, he’s already learning to switch off the noise and focus on the next challenge.

And as Rahul Dravid pointed out, the next challenge won’t be far away.