After scripting history by becoming the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi said — “There is no fear. I don’t think much, I just focus on playing” — in the post Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans IPL match presentation ceremony yesterday, where he was declared ‘player of the match’. Suryavanshi led Rajasthan Royals to a smashing victory by doling out 11 sixes and seven fours in his 101 off 38 balls, as his team chased down a 210-run target in 15.5 overs. The young batter reached his 100 in 35 balls to register the second-fastest century in IPL history. Suryavanshi was already making buzz after becoming the youngest cricketer in history to be shortlisted for an IPL auction, at the age of 13. After a bidding war between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, the former officially signed him on for the IPL 2025 season for an impressive fee of Rs 1.1 crore. With the talented cricket prodigy on a mission to prove his mettle, here’s a closer look at his inspiring journey. Meet Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old cricketer who scripted history as the youngest centurion in men’s Twenty20 cricket Vaibhav Suryavanshi was born on March 27, 2011 in Bihar’s Tajpur village. His father Sanjeev, a farmer by profession, noticed his son’s affinity for the sport at the age of four, and made a vow to help him hone his skillset. He coached the toddler himself first, even building a playing area at his backyard, and later selling off his farm in Motipur to fund his son’s ambition. Once Suryavanshi turned nine, Sanjeev enrolled him in a cricket academy in the nearby town of Samastipur, following which he was entrusted in the care of ex-Ranji player Manish Ojha. In an interview with Cricketnext, Ojha shared: “Vaibhav came to me when he was around nine years old. The distance from his native Samastipur to Patna is around 100 km, and he used to come to my coaching center every alternate day. Vaibhav used to start training around 7:30 am and continued till the evening, before travelling back home. He has followed this schedule for over four years.” At 12, Suryavanshi played the Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Bihar's under-19 side, accumulating 400 runs in just five matches. He made his first-class debut in Bihar’s Ranji Trophy 2023-2024 Elite Group B clash against a strong Mumbai side in Patna in January 2024, thereby becoming the second youngest to play in the Ranji Trophy for Bihar, and the fourth youngest overall. For reference, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh were both over 15 when they made their respective first-class debuts. Cricketing career In September 2024, Suryavanshi made his India U-19 debut and marked it with a staggering 104 runs from 62 balls in the youth test match against Australia. With his century taking place in just 58 balls, it was labelled as the fastest hundred ever recorded by an Indian in youth Tests and the second-fastest overall. He was also his team’s second-highest scorer in the U-19 Asia Cup 2024 in the UAE, where he bagged two half-centuries — the first in a do-or-die group clash against the hosts, and the second against Sri Lanka in the semi-finals. Suryavanshi also became the youngest Indian to score a 50 in List A cricket in Bihar's Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Baroda in 2024-2025. After a bidding auction, where he was secured by the Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore, Suryavanshi, the youngest debutant in the IPL, kicked off his league career with a huge six against Lucknow Super Giants, scoring 34 off just 20 balls. In his second match, the game-changing innings against Gujarat Titans, he scored an unbelievable 101 runs in 38 balls at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, thereby scripting history as the youngest batter to ever score a century in the IPL as well as men's T20 cricket.