“Why hit a single when you can hit the ball for a six?”
That was the bold question posed by a 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi to one of his earliest cricket coaches. It was more than just youthful confidence—it was a hint at the kind of mindset that would soon make him one of the most exciting prospects in Indian cricket.
“Vaibhav was hitting sixes and fours off almost every ball,” recalled Manish Ojha, a former first-class player for Jharkhand. “After the session, I said: ‘Vaibhav, why are you only hitting boundaries? The state matches are a four-day format and we will need you to take more singles.’ He replied: ‘Sir, if I can hit a ball for six, why would I take a single off it?’ That’s when I realised he was ready for the next level.”
That same six-hitting instinct captivated the cricketing world on Monday, when Vaibhav became the youngest ever to score a century in men’s T20 cricket. Batting for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans, the teenage sensation dismantled elite international bowlers in an astonishing 38-ball century, which featured 11 sixes and seven fours.
The likes of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, and Rashid Khan—seasoned veterans of the international game—were dispatched with the same ease as the local kids who once bowled to him in practice. It was a display of fearless aggression, backed by sheer skill.
Vaibhav’s rise to the Indian Premier League has been nothing short of dramatic. He launched his professional T20 career with a six off his very first delivery, and by just his third game, he had notched up a century. Born in Samastipur, a small district in Bihar, India, he was introduced to cricket early by his father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, a former club-level cricketer.
Recognizing his son’s talent, Sanjeev began coaching him at home from the tender age of five. However, with no formal cricket academies in Samastipur, the family made sacrifices for Vaibhav’s dreams. When Vaibhav turned eight, his father took him to Patna—three hours away—for better training.
“Many people would tell him: ‘What are you doing?’ But he was the first person to believe in Vaibhav’s abilities,” said Robin Singh, a coach from Bihar. “To ensure his son trained well and got to use the best facilities, his father had to sell a plot of land. His mother had to make a lot of sacrifices too. She would wake up at three in the morning to prepare breakfast for him and would even send food for the coaches.”
Vaibhav quickly won over his new coaches. “When I started working with him, I found him quite different from others. You would give him a demo of a technique or a shot, and he would pick it up in no time,” Ojha explained. “Most of the players adopt things easily in practice, but when it comes to playing matches, they fail. But the unique feature about Vaibhav was that he would execute things perfectly even during high-pressure matches.”
His maturity was far beyond his years. His game sense, stroke-making, and attitude distinguished him from his peers. “Within 10 days of playing alongside the kids of his age, we realised we were wasting his time. So, we started making him practise with senior players,” Singh said.
Vaibhav would undergo intense practice sessions, training from 7.30am to 4pm and facing around 450 balls daily. By the age of 12, his coaches felt confident enough to push him toward a professional cricketing path. He starred for the Bihar under-19 team and piled up runs, eventually earning a spot in the India Under-19s squad. At just 13, he blazed a 58-ball century in a youth Test against Australia.
His rapid rise continued when he was selected for Bihar’s Ranji Trophy team, India’s top first-class cricket tournament. Then came the breakthrough: Rajasthan Royals secured his services for ₹1.1 crore (£103,789) in the December 2024 IPL auction, making him the youngest to earn an IPL contract.
“Vaibhav’s role model is Brian Lara, so his game is aggressive, and he plays the ball on merit without any fear at all,” Ojha noted. “We expected him to get an IPL contract, and our joy doubled the moment Rajasthan Royals got him because they have [India legend] Rahul Dravid on their coaching staff.”
Singh added his own memory: “When he became the youngest to debut in first-class cricket, I told him: ‘Anyone can become the youngest. I’ll be happy when you become the youngest centurion.’ So yesterday he called me up after scoring the century and said: ‘Sir, youngest centurion.’ And I couldn’t be prouder.”
Vaibhav’s attacking style has already garnered attention from analysts. Nearly half of his IPL runs (46%) have come through the mid-wicket and long-on region, a sign of his power and placement. He has particularly dominated fast bowlers, scoring over 100 runs at a staggering strike rate of 243 against pace in this season’s IPL.
Such performances have earned him the nickname “Boss Baby” in cricketing circles—a nod to his youth and his resemblance to the destructive West Indian legend Chris Gayle, known as “The Universe Boss.” While Gayle holds the record for the fastest IPL century (30 balls in 2013), Vaibhav shattered another milestone—becoming the youngest to score a T20 century, surpassing the previous record held by Maharashtra’s Vijay Zol, who was 18 years and 118 days old.
His coaches believe a call-up to the Indian national team is only a matter of time. The comparison with Sachin Tendulkar is now inevitable. Tendulkar, India’s most celebrated batsman, debuted at 16, and many feel Vaibhav could soon follow in his footsteps.
“A guy from a small village in Bihar has made it to the IPL. The whole world is talking about him. So, he knows how to open doors. Don’t be surprised if he makes it to international level soon,” Singh said.
Vaibhav has already caught the attention of his home state. After his century, he received a reward of nearly £9,000 from the Bihar government, an acknowledgment of his achievement and promise. But he is already focused on his next challenge—facing the formidable Mumbai Indians on Thursday, including none other than Jasprit Bumrah, widely regarded as the best bowler in the world.
As the cricketing world watches closely, one thing is certain: Vaibhav Suryavanshi is not just a young sensation—he is a bold statement of what happens when talent meets grit, sacrifice, and fearless ambition.