Vaibhav Suryavanshi shows he can adapt under pressure

NEW DELHI: It’s not every day that cricketing history bends to the will of a schoolboy.

Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s journey through IPL 2025 reads like a fable, only this one has unfolded in real time under the glare of floodlights and the scrutiny of millions.

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When the Rajasthan Royals picked him up at the mega auction last year, most saw it as a bold, perhaps symbolic, gesture — a nod to youth and potential. But as the season has progressed, the left-handed prodigy from Tajpur village in Bihar has turned promise into performance.

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Rajasthan Royals’ batting coach Vikram Rathour, himself a former India opener, was effusive in his praise for the ‘boy wonder’ and lauded Suryavanshi’s temperament. “Very impressive,” Rathour said after RR’s game against CSK here. “We’ve been working with him for quite some time now – maybe three to four months. We have seen all these aspects, but it is great to see him performing well in games under pressure situations.”

Suryavanshi’s IPL debut was a statement in itself. If there were nerves, they were well hidden. Facing the Lucknow Super Giants, he launched Shardul Thakur over the ropes for six off his very first ball, a shot that instantly trended across social media and set the tone for what was to come. He finished his debut with a brisk 34, but it was clear Suryavanshi wasn’t just here to make up the numbers.

The season’s defining moment arrived against Gujarat Titans. The Royals, desperate for a spark, found one in their teenage sensation. Suryavanshi blazed his way to 101 off just 38 balls, registering the second-fastest century in IPL history and shattering records for the youngest centurion in the league and in all professional limited-overs cricket. His innings, studded with 11 sixes, was a masterclass in clean hitting and composure, as he dismantled seasoned bowlers with a mix of classical strokes and fearless aggression.




But Suryavanshi’s season was not just about fireworks. The final group-stage match against CSK, with the Royals chasing 188, showcased a different dimension to his game. The pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium offered early movement, and the experienced CSK attack probed for weaknesses.

Suryavanshi started cautiously, working the gaps, rotating strike, and absorbing pressure. Only once he was set did he unfurl his trademark sixes. His 57 off 33 balls anchored the chase and underlined a maturity that belied his age. It was in these moments – when the ball seamed, when the asking rate climbed, when the opposition turned the screws – that Suryavanshi’s temperament shone brightest.

“In a big game like this, when he went in, the ball was doing a bit. He hardly got any deliveries and wasn’t on strike much in the Powerplay,” Rathour said. “The kind of maturity and temperament he showed were excellent.”

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