Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The teen prodigy who is breaking IPL boundaries

India Today

01-05-2025

Each morning, Sonu Bhaiyya, a cricket devotee from neighbouring Fatehpur, would stand only 18 yards away—four yards inside the regulation length—and hurl a sodden rubber ball towards his young protg. It was deliberate. By closing the distance, he conditioned Vaibhav for the pace and precision of top-class bowlers.Undeterred, the boy would pivot into his trademark cuts and pulls, and at times launch that damp globe skywards with a full-blooded front-foot swing—an audacious whack worthy of the six he dispatched off Gujarat Titans' spearhead Mohammed Siraj. 'He simply trusts his bat,' smiles Sonu smiles. 'Fear does not exist for him.'advertisementIndeed, Vaibhav's confidence is well-founded. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, he became the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket, carving an unbeaten 101 off just 35 balls for Rajasthan Royals against the Gujarat Titans—his only third match. It was the second-fastest century in IPL history, trailing Chris Gayle's 30-ball blitz in 2013, and the quickest by an Indian, eclipsing Yusuf Pathan's 37-ball ton of 2010.In the dusty backyards of Motipur village, part of the Tajpur block in Bihar's Samastipur district, two humble pitches lay side by side: one a cracked slab of concrete, the other a ragged turf strip meticulously rolled by his father, Sanjiv Suryavanshi.
Sanjiv was no stranger to the crease himself. Dr Santosh Kumar, an assistant professor in Samastipur, recalls Sanjiv as a formidable left-hander: 'He was equally good, a left-hander with all kinds of strokes. Getting him out was difficult. There were no opportunities then, so he bloomed at the district level only.'advertisementWhen Vaibhav was four, that same father recognised a rare spark in his son. Forsaking the modest comforts of their life—where the family's only asset was a small shop—Sanjiv sold a parcel of farmland in 2019 to secure his son's place at a dedicated cricket academy. Thus began a pilgrimage of sorts. Every other day, Sanjiv drove 90 km from Tajpur to Sampatchak in Patna, their car laden with 10 tiffin boxes—one for Vaibhav and nine for the bowlers who shared the nets.Those meals, prepared by Vaibhav's mother before dawn, were silent offerings at the altar of ambition. When the car broke down, Sanjiv hired a replacement at considerable expense to ensure uninterrupted practice.By the age of 12, whispers of Vaibhav's prowess had swelled into roars. At an under-19 fixture, selectors balked at his youth; Vaibhav merely smiled and replied with an emphatic 89. In another match, he amassed 148 against Haryana, leaving onlookers astonished that such mastery had blossomed in rural Bihar.In September 2023, still only 12, he struck a 58-ball century against Australia in a junior Test—the fastest ever by an Indian in the format. It was not merely a batting masterclass but a clarion call to a cricketing establishment prone to overlooking the hinterlands.advertisementHis heroics continued at the 2024 Under-19 Asia Cup: 76 runs off 46 balls to dismantle the UAE, followed by 67 off 36 in a high-pressure semifinal against Sri Lanka. Each innings bore the hallmark of his fearlessness—a refusal to retreat into passive defence.Inevitably, IPL came calling. In November 2024, at just 13, Vaibhav became the youngest player ever auctioned when the Rajasthan Royals secured him for Rs 1.10 crore. Critics scoffed; the Royals discerned a once-in-a-generation talent. Under the Jaipur Stadium lights, the 14-year-old repaid their faith with a 35-ball century—the fastest by an Indian in IPL history—offering a masterclass against the likes of Siraj, Ishant Sharma and Rashid Khan.Watching him bat is to witness poetry in motion. His high backlift—homage to Brian Lara, his childhood idol—and the seamless fluidity with which he dispatches the ball betray an innate elegance. Yet his steely temperament recalls Yuvraj Singh, whose blend of grace and power once reshaped the modern game.Despite his meteoric rise, Vaibhav remains grounded. In the Royals' nets, he confronts 150 kmph throw-downs alongside seasoned internationals, each delivery a reminder that true greatness demands perpetual refinement.What sets Vaibhav apart is not solely the runs he tallies, the records he eclipses or the crores he commands—it is the indomitable spirit underpinning every stroke. He carries with him the aspirations of a village where electricity falters and dreams languish, and the steadfast belief of parents who refused to let challenges extinguish possibility.advertisementAs his star continues to ascend, whispers of an Indian cap grow louder. Some prophesy that within two years he may don the national whites, or the blue jersey he has long coveted. For now, he lets his bat speak for him, each boundary a stanza in an unfolding epic.In Vaibhav Suryavanshi, we encounter more than a precocious talent; we glimpse the enduring power of conviction. From a concrete slab and a turf strip in Bihar to the grand arenas of the IPL, his journey affirms that when passion and perseverance converge, even the most entrenched boundaries can be transcended.Subscribe to India Today MagazineTune InMust Watch