‘Will rule cricket’: How 14yo went from farm kid to $300k star… and Aussie slaughter that forecast it – Fox Sports

The next big thing in world cricket may have just arrived, and he is only 14 years old.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi sent the IPL into a frenzy on Monday with an astonishing 35-ball century, which included 11 sixes, to spearhead the Rajasthan Royals’ run chase as they motored down the Gujurat Titans’ total of 209 with 25 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand.
Not only was it incredible that the teenager was playing in the world’s richest cricket league in the first place, or that he smashed a hundred, but it was the fastest ever ton scored by an Indian player in the tournament.
FOX CRICKET, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of the 2025 Indian Premier League exclusively LIVE | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
It is second only to Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century for RCB, back when Suryavanshi was just two years old.
“It is a very good feeling. It’s my first hundred in the IPL and it’s my third innings,” he said post-match.
“The result has shown here after the practice before the tournament. I just see the ball and play.
“Batting with Jaiswal is good, he tells me what to do and he infuses positive things. It has been a dream to get a 100 in the IPL and today it materialised.
“There is no fear. I don’t think much, I just focus on playing.”
The breakthrough display of brutal hitting from the dashing left-handed opener, who is adoringly referred to as ‘Boss Baby’ by fans as he is so young that he resembles the animated character from the movie with the same title, has not come out of the blue.
He has been a star on the rise for some time now in Indian cricket, although no one would have predicted he would taking down the likes of current Indian Test quick Mohammed Siraj, 105-Test seamer Ishant Sharma and the world’s best white-ball spinner Rashid Khan so early in his career.

Suryavanshi made his IPL debut only nine days before his incredible hundred, and declared he was not there to simply make up the numbers by launching seamer Shardul Thakur, who snared seven wickets for the match in India’s famous 2021 Gabba Test victory, over wide long off for six first ball.
He went on to make 34 off 20 balls, including three sixes, in an eye-catching debut against the Lucknow Super Giants.
When he walked to the crease alongside Indian Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryavanshi became the first player to play in the IPL who has born after the tournament began in 2008.

The Royals purchased the prodigy at last year’s mega auction, winning in an intense bidding war with the Delhi Capitals that started at the base price of US$30,000 before Rajasthan sealed the deal at US$200,000 ($311,000 AUD)
He was still only 13 years of age at the time, and became the youngest ever cricketer to earn an IPL contract.
Suryavanshi came onto the radar of IPL franchises by smashing talented teenagers around the park, despite being far younger than his opponents.
Last year he blasted a 58-ball century, which included four sixes, opening the batting in a Youth Test match against Australia’s Under 19s.
That knock made him the youngest ever centurion in Under 19 internationals and it came after an unbeaten 332 in an Under 19 competition in his state of Bihar, who he made his first class debut for at just 12 years of age in a four-day match against Mumbai.
It naturally brought comparisons to the great Sachin Tendulkar, who famously made his debut for Mumbai as a 15-year-old, as Suryavanshi broke Yuvraj Singh’s record for the youngest player to debut in the Ranji Trophy in the modern era by almost three years.

To break into the Indian Test top order as a 16-year-old like Tendulkar did on a tour of Pakistan in 1989, he will need to improve his red ball numbers but luckily he has plenty of time on his side.
He has played five matches for Bihar with a highest score of 41 and an average of 10, while in domestic one-day cricket he boasts a highest score of 71 and average of 22 from six matches.
That is why former Indian opener Virender Sehwag issued him a stern warning less than a week ago.
“I have seen many players who come, get fame from one or two matches, then they do not do anything, because they think that they have become a star player,” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
“Look at Virat Kohli. He started at 19 and has now played all 18 IPL seasons.
“That’s what Vaibhav should aim for. But if he thinks he’s made it just because he hit a six off his first ball and earned a crore, he might not be around next season.”

As he has made each step up throughout his journey so far, there have been questions raised about the legitimacy of Suryavanshi’s age.
His official date of birth is March 27, 2011 but in an interview with BNN News Benipatti in 2023 Suryavanshi said he would turn 14 on September 27, 2023.
Regardless, the youngster’s talent is undeniable and his strength to consistently clear the ropes at such a young age is mightily impressive.
Former Indian players have certainly been in awe of his stroke play throughout his IPL appearances so far.
“He is 14 but has the mind of a 30-year-old,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.
“Vaibhav Suryavanshi looked confident against bowlers who have been bowling for years.”
Meanwhile, Suresh Raina declared that, “He will rule cricket in the future. Vaibhav Suryavanshi will show what he is capable of.”
Yuvraj Singh was full of praise on Twitter, Harbhajan Singh labelled him a “superstar” in a tweet and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma took to his Instagram story to show that he was impressed.

Country folk might claim that is rural upbringing is the cause of his strength beyond his years.
“I was inclined towards sports as a kid. My father is a farmer. He built a small play area for me. I used to practice there. There were some kids in my neighbourhood. My father used to call them and ask them to bowl at me. That’s how it began,” Suryavanshi told The Times of India in an interview last year.
“He used to say ‘bat-ball khelega, cricketer banega na (you will play with bat and ball, become a cricketer, right)? He had confidence in me.
“After playing for four-five years, my father took me to Samastipur town where got me enrolled in a cricket academy. After practising for two-and-a-half years there, I gave Under-16 trials for the Vijay Merchant Trophy. I was on standby due to my age.
“By god’s grace, I started coaching under Manish Ojha, a former Ranji (Trophy) player. He has taught me a lot and whatever I am today, it is because of him.”

Suryavanshi models his game on a West Indies legend who retired before he was born.
For many years, he has scoured YouTube for videos of watching his fellow left-hander flay attacks to all parts, and trying to adopt some of the traits into his own batting.
“My idol is Brian Lara. I watch his videos and batting style. I just love his 400 not out innings. I have watched it several times,” he told The Times of India.
“The best thing I like about him is that he doesn’t leave the match in between. He doesn’t give up. I have seen the match-winning attitude in him and this is the top-most thing I want to learn from him.
“I just love the way he used to take the match til the end and then win it.
“I want to dominate the bowlers the way Lara did.”

source