Suryavanshi, 14, hits 35-ball ton to shatter Titans, record books

When Rajasthan Royals announced they had signed a 13-year-old for the Indian Premier League there was plenty of scepticism. It looked, at best, like the start of a long-term plan to lay claim to and develop a promising youngster, at worst a gimmick.

No one is sceptical now. In his third match the now-14 years old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has smashed the second fastest century in the IPL's 18 seasons, a blistering 35-ball display of pyrotechnics that carried his team to a thumping eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in Jaipur.

Only Chris Gayle has hit a quicker IPL ton than his fellow left-hander, and Suryavanshi would have been close to his 30-ball display had he not played himself in with nine off his first seven balls, albeit that included a straight six off 140kph Indian Test seamer Ishant Sharma. Thereafter he hit 92 off 28 balls, including ten more sixes and seven fours. 

A couple of boundaries were streaky, but most were hit with devastating power with fearless clean hitting all round the wicket. His century was brought up with a six over mid-wicket, off the skilled leg-spinner Rashid Khan. 

Every boundary was rapturously cheered by the pink-clad Royals fans in the 'Pink City', none of whom will ever forget the night.

By the time Suryavanshi was yorked for 101 Royals were well on the way to overhauling Titans' 4-209, doing so with 25 balls to spare, ending a five-match losing streak. Yashasvi Jaiswal, dropped by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler on two, made 70 not out.

"Incredible innings, one of the best I have seen," said Jaiswal of Suryavanshi, whose innings was made against a high-class attack of Test bowlers.

Jaiswal, who himself was hailed as a tyro when making Test and IPL centuries as a 21-year-old two years ago, added: "I hope he will do it for us for a long time. I was telling him to just keep going. He just played amazing shots, he practises well, works hard in the nets. He has the game and temperament, I wish him all the luck."

"It was Suryavanshi's day, his hitting was tremendous and he made full use of it," said Shubman Gill, Gujarat's captain, who himself made 84 off 50 balls, backed up by Buttler's unbeaten 50 off 26.

The boy himself was still taking it in.

"It feels really good," he said. "What I've been practising for the last three-four months, the result is showing. I don't see the ground so much, just focus on the ball. 

"It is like a dream, to score a century in the IPL."

In October last year, Suryanvanshi blasted a 58-ball ton against Australia's Under-19 squad in a dazzling display that put his name up in lights. Now, a senior international berth is surely a matter of time. 

While Titans, in third with 12 points, are still well-placed to make the play-offs Royals, in eighth with six, are  unlikely to do so. Nevertheless, they has provided what will probably be the most memorable occasion of the tournament.

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Punjab Kings KXI	14	9	4	0	1	0.372	0	19
2 Royal Challengers Bengaluru Men RCB	14	9	4	0	1	0.301	0	19
3 Gujarat Titans GUT	14	9	5	0	0	0.254	0	18
4 Mumbai Indians MI	14	8	6	0	0	1.142	0	16
5 Delhi Capitals Men DEL	14	7	6	0	1	0.011	0	15
6 Sunrisers Hyderabad SUN	14	6	7	0	1	-0.241	0	13
7 Lucknow Super Giants LSG	14	6	8	0	0	-0.376	0	12
8 Kolkata Knight Riders KKR	14	5	7	0	2	-0.305	0	12
9 Rajasthan Royals RAJ	14	4	10	0	0	-0.549	0	8
10 Chennai Super Kings CSK	14	4	10	0	0	-0.647	0	8

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points

Australians at IPL 2025

Chennai Super Kings: Nathan Ellis ($365k)

Delhi Capitals: Mitch Starc ($2.15m), Jake Fraser-McGurk ($1.65m)

Kolkata Knight Riders: Spencer Johnson ($510k)

Lucknow Super Giants: Justin Langer (coach), Mitch Marsh ($623k)

Punjab Kings: Ricky Ponting (coach), Marcus Stoinis ($2m), Glenn Maxwell ($770k), Josh Inglis ($475k), Aaron Hardie ($228k), Xavier Bartlett ($146k)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Josh Hazlewood ($2.29m), Tim David ($547k)

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins ($3.7m), Travis Head ($1.2m), Adam Zampa ($440k)

2025 IPL standings