In an Indian Premier League match that fans will remember for decades, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi did the unthinkable — scoring a blistering century in just 35 balls and sending shockwaves through the cricketing world.
Facing Gujarat Titans on April 28, Rajasthan Royals needed something special to break their five-match losing streak. What they got instead was something historic. In his fearless innings of 101 off just 38 balls, Vaibhav not only became the youngest player to score a T20 century but also reignited the Royals’ IPL 2025 campaign with an emphatic eight-wicket win.
And as if the fans’ jaws weren’t already on the floor, cricket legend Shaun Pollock’s reaction said it all.
“This is the greatest individual performance I’ve ever seen in the IPL. A 14-year-old, going out there and smashing a hundred off 35 balls? Incredible,” said Pollock, speaking on Cricbuzz after the match.
Pollock, a former South African captain known for his calm demeanor, was full of animated praise for the young batter. He couldn’t help but marvel at the maturity and fearless confidence Suryavanshi showed against some of the most experienced bowlers in the league.
“Some of these bowlers have been playing the IPL for longer than this kid’s been alive. And he just walked out there and bossed the game like he’d been doing it for years,” Pollock added.
Suryavanshi’s innings included an over that will be remembered with awe — he smashed veteran bowler Ishant Sharma for 28 runs in a single over, leaving fans roaring and Sharma stunned. Even India pacer Mohammed Siraj wasn’t spared, with Vaibhav sending his first ball for a towering 90-metre six.
Pollock, half-joking and half-stunned, said:
“I thought corporal punishment was a thing of the past. But he’s just walked out like a whole school and delivered some serious punishment today.”
The cricketing world is now abuzz with talk of this rising star from Bihar, who has shown that talent knows no age. At just 14, Suryavanshi has become a symbol of hope, fearlessness, and pure passion — a boy who carried his bat and his team with equal grace.
For Rajasthan Royals fans, this win brought more than just two points — it brought a glimpse of the future.
And for everyone else watching?
A reminder that sometimes, greatness arrives when no one expects it — in the form of a teenager with a bat, a dream, and no fear at all.
