Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Blazing Century Impresses Ravi Shastri: ‘Let the Kid Play’

April 29, 2025: History was made at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday as Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) young batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi lit up the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a breathtaking century against Gujarat Titans.

The left-handed opener scored an explosive 101 off just 38 balls, smashing seven fours and 11 sixes, and became the youngest player ever to score a century in T20 cricket, surpassing the previous record held by Vijay Zol, who had achieved the feat at 18 years and 118 days. Vaibhav’s ton came in just 35 deliveries, making it the second-fastest century in IPL history, only behind Chris Gayle’s iconic 30-ball hundred.

The 18-year-old’s sensational innings powered the Royals to an emphatic eight-wicket win and left fans and cricketing legends in awe — including former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who praised the youngster’s fearless approach.

“I think the first shot he ever played (against Lucknow), that would have taken everyone’s breath away,” Shastri told ICC.

He cautioned, however, that handling future challenges and failures will be key to Suryavanshi’s growth.

“He’s young, just let him play… there’s bound to be failure as well. It’s how he handles failure, as people will come up with new things,” Shastri added.

The former India coach predicted that bowlers will look to test the youngster with short-pitched deliveries, especially after such a dominant start to his IPL career.

“There’ll be lots of short stuff thrown at him the next time he comes out to bat… He’ll have to get used to that, and once we see him handling that, then you can make a proper judgment,” Shastri said.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking century has not only etched his name in the record books but also marked the arrival of a promising new star in Indian cricket — one with power, poise, and potential well beyond his years.