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<\/p>\n
We got a glimpse of his potential last season, when the left-hander clobbered a 35-ball century for the Rajasthan Royals, but he took his reputation to new heights during this year\u2019s campaign, compiling 579 runs at an otherworldly strike rate of 236.32, the highest in an IPL season (minimum 500 runs). He\u2019s also responsible for two of the three-fastest hundreds in IPL history.<\/p>\n
Sooryavanshi has proven he\u2019s not a flash in the pan, a slogger swinging for the fences on flat decks with short boundaries. He\u2019s outperforming the rest of the competition and making some of the world\u2019s best bowlers look amateurish.<\/p>\n
Every ball of 14 y.o record breaking 100 | 10:46<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s my new favourite player,\u201d Australian captain Pat Cummins told reporters last month, speaking after Sooryavanshi clobbered a 37-ball 103 against his Sunrisers Hyderabad.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe hits the ball so hard, it\u2019s great to watch, it\u2019s good fun.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be right on the money as a bowler because if you\u2019re not, it\u2019s going a long way.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s impressive, he\u2019s had a great start to his career and I like the way he plays, he takes the game on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, having earned his maiden India A call-up, Sooryavanshi is on the verge of following in the footsteps of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar by making his international debut in his teens.<\/p>\n
India is scheduled to tour England for a five-match T20 series in July, and there are growing calls for Sooryavanshi to be on the plane to the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d have him in the squad for the England series in the summer. I absolutely would,\u201d former Test captain Michael Vaughan said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he was 20, he\u2019d be in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Highest strike rate in an IPL season<\/p>\n
236.3* \u2013 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR), 2026<\/p>\n
206.2* \u2013 Abhishek Sharma (SRH), 2026<\/p>\n
204.8 \u2013 Andre Russell (KKR), 2019<\/p>\n
196.2 \u2013 Nicholas Pooran (LSG), 2025<\/p>\n
191.5 \u2013 Travis Head (SRH), 2024<\/p>\n
Minimum 500 runs<\/p>\n
14-y.o Indian gun smacks 52-ball ton! | 04:57<\/p>\n
\u2018BEST PLAYER I\u2019VE SEEN SINCE TENDULKAR\u2019<\/p>\n
Suryavanshi hails from the village of Tajpurin in the state of Bihar, located in India\u2019s northeast near the country\u2019s border with Nepal; former Indian captain MS Dhoni comes from the same region.<\/p>\n
Trying to emulate West Indies legend Brian Lara \u2013 who retired before he was born \u2013 Suryavanshi learnt the craft of batting on a cement pitch laid by his father, Sanjiv, in the backyard of his childhood home.<\/p>\n
Aged seven, he was sent to the GenNex Academy in Patna\u2019s Sampatchak area, a 200km round trip, to further hone his skills \u2013 and local coaches quickly identified his budding potential.<\/p>\n
Batting mentor Zubin Bharucha, who has previously worked with the Rajasthan Royals, recalls watching the youngster slap the academy\u2019s fastest bowlers down the ground and into the sightscreen. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m getting goosebumps now, it was completely surreal,\u201d he told Wisden\u2019s The Scoop podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got something completely generational here.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the best player I\u2019ve seen since Sachin Tendulkar.\u201d<\/p>\n
After scoring an unbeaten 332 during a state Under-19 competition, Suryavanshi became the seventh-youngest cricketer in first-class history after making his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar aged 12.<\/p>\n
13yo Indian prodigy crushes Aussies | 01:29<\/p>\n
Later that year, the young opener blasted a 58-ball hundred in a Youth Test against Australia\u2019s Under-19 team, thumping four sixes against a bowling attack comprised of young adults. He had just turned 13, making him the youngest centurion in the history of Under-19 internationals.<\/p>\n
In late 2024, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player in IPL history after the Royals signed him for INR 1.1 crore, approximately AU$195,000. The purchase was considered a gimmick by many, but it didn\u2019t take long for the teenager to justify his salary.<\/p>\n
Sooryavanshi made his IPL debut in April 2025 after Royals captain Sanju Samson suffered a side strain, slapping his first delivery over cover for six. The following week, he announced himself to the cricket world by smacking a 38-ball 101 against the Gujarat Titans in Jaipur, facing a bowling attack comprised entirely of Test cricketers.<\/p>\n
He continued dominating at Under-19 level, hitting a 78-ball 143 during a Youth ODI against England in July 2025. Despite being the youngest player in the tournament, he was India\u2019s leading run-scorer during this year\u2019s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign, cracking an 80-ball 175 in the final against England, a jaw-dropping performance that featured 15 sixes.<\/p>\n
Former Test all-rounder Mike Yardy, coach of England\u2019s Under-19 team, watched the carnage from the dugout on both occasions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe talent he has got, I don\u2019t know what to predict because I have never seen anything quite like it,\u201d Yardy told the BBC.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gets a full flow and gets everything out of his bat swing but is then able to hold a really consistent base with his feet into the ground, with balance and keeping his head still.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there is a unique talent to it. You have got to have an extraordinary gift to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cHe is doing things now that players double his age are doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou imagine, if he keeps going the way he is, he can play all formats of international cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n
14-year-old phenom ERUPTS in WC final! | 01:27<\/p>\n
15YO\u2019S ASCENT \u2018SCARY FOR WORLD CRICKET\u2019<\/p>\n
The records kept toppling in 2026, with Sooryavanshi becoming the fastest cricketer to score 1000 T20 runs and the quickest to achieve 100 T20 sixes.<\/p>\n
The ease at which he clears the boundary rope, combined with his fearless approach with the willow, makes him a constant threat, while he\u2019s unfazed by the reputation of his opponent. The first delivery he faced against Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah \u2013 arguably the world\u2019s best multi-format bowlers \u2013 were each dispatched over the fence.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s not intimidated by pace; he relishes it.<\/p>\n
Sooryavanshi has cleared the boundary rope on 53 occasions this season, breaking the record for most sixes by an Indian player during an IPL tournament. Gayle\u2019s overall record of 59 sixes is in serious jeopardy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen some amazing players in my 35 years of cricket, but to see a young man bat like that \u2013 not just tonight but throughout the series \u2013 is breathtaking,\u201d Lucknow Super Giants coach Justin Langer said after Sooryavanshi cracked a 38-ball 93 in Jaipur earlier this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s quite incredible actually to be able to play that way.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy gosh, he\u2019s so young. He\u2019s a brilliant, brilliant player and it\u2019s a real privilege to watch him bat actually.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll adapt, he\u2019ll keep getting better and better, which is scary for world cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n
MOST SIXES IN AN IPL SEASON<\/p>\n
59 \u2013 Chris Gayle (RCB), 2012<\/p>\n
53* \u2013 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR), 2026<\/p>\n
52 \u2013 Andre Russell (KKR), 2019<\/p>\n
51 \u2013 Chris Gayle (RCB), 2013<\/p>\n
45 \u2013 Jos Buttler (RR), 2022<\/p>\n
Suryavanshi shines again to lift Royals | 00:51<\/p>\n
The secret to Sooryavanshi\u2019s success lies in his unique and unorthodox stance; with a bent back, his body contorts at the waist as he produces a whippy bat swing, similar to that of childhood hero Lara.<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t commit his front foot, which allows him to adjust late when facing the swinging ball, while his weight is centred at the middle of his foot rather than his toes. And because he doesn\u2019t press forward in a traditional manner, bowlers are thrown off their lengths, forcing his opponents to adapt on the fly.<\/p>\n
Sooryavanshi also possesses a high back lift with the bat pointed towards gully, parallel to the crease, much like how Sir Donald Bradman angled towards second slip.<\/p>\n
Bharucha, who has helped Sooryavanshi fine-tune his batting action over the last couple of years, claims that his bat speed has increased from 95km\/h to 110km\/h, while the teenager has also been working on his cut stroke, which was previously considered a weakness.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s extremely intelligent,\u201d Bharucha added.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s incredibly sharp, he\u2019ll remember every tiny detail of every game he played, and every ball a bowler tried to bowl to him, and if he didn\u2019t play that ball well.\u201d<\/p>\n
INDIA NEEDS TO TAKE \u2018LEAP OF FAITH\u2019<\/p>\n
Last week, Sooryavanshi was named in the India A squad for next month\u2019s one-day tri-series against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, proving he\u2019s not far from earning national selection.<\/p>\n
Currently, India\u2019s youngest men\u2019s T20I debutant is Washington Sundar, who was 18 when he debuted against Sri Lanka in 2017; Sooryavanshi could topple that record by multiple years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way he is taking on bowlers easily when they are bowling at 145 km\/h is fantastic,\u201d former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan told IANS.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day is not far when he debuts for India.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Bihar player Samar Quadri, a talent scout for the Royals, agreed that Sooryavanshi was ready for the challenges of international cricket.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sky\u2019s the limit,\u201d he told The Scoop.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe could play for the Indian team for 20 years, easily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every Boundary! Vaibhav’s INSANE century | 05:38<\/p>\n
But what about Test cricket? Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days old when he made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1989. Should India fast-track another promising youngster into the Test set-up ahead of next year\u2019s Border-Gavaskar Trophy?<\/p>\n
Sooryavanshi\u2019s current first-class record is modest at best, averaging 17.25 with the bat across eight matches for Bihar. However, during his most recent Ranji Trophy appearance, he smashed a 67-ball 93 against Meghalaya in Patna, a whirlwind knock that featured four sixes.<\/p>\n
Although his prior red-ball experience doesn\u2019t justify Test selection, Bharucha implored India to take a \u201cleap of faith\u201d and give him an opportunity to prove his worth in the five-day format.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s already ahead of so many people that are waiting in line,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey need to take that leap of faith, as they did with Sachin Tendulkar all those years ago, and blood him straight away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quadri also revealed that Sooryavanshi doesn\u2019t want to be considered a white-ball specialist, claiming that: \u201cHe told me, \u2018I love red-ball cricket, the fielders are up, I can hit the ball anywhere.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
However, South African legend AB de Villiers offered a blunt reality check for the Indian prodigy, casting doubt on whether he was equipped to tackle the other formats. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if he\u2019s going to last, to be honest,\u201d he told the For the Love of Cricket podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this age, it\u2019s just absolutely incredible. We know the talent is there, but I would like to see him in other formats.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he does start nibbling around in ODIs and particularly Test cricket, he will discover a whole different area of his cricket mentally and physically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pollock: Best performance in IPL history | 00:56<\/p>\n
THREE-YEAR-OLD VIDEO FUELS MYSTERY<\/p>\n
The lingering elephant in the room, a mystery that social media sleuths are desperate to crack, is the legitimacy of Sooryavanshi\u2019s age.<\/p>\n
While his official birth date is March 27, 2011, during an interview with BNN News Benipatti in 2023, Sooryavanshi claimed he turned 14 in September the previous year, which would make him 17 now.<\/p>\n
However, Sooryavanshi\u2019s father has fiercely defended his age, insisting that he has undergone bone testing to prove it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he was eight and a half years old, he first appeared for a BCCI bone test,\u201d Sanjiv told PTI last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t fear anyone. He can again undergo an age test.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regardless of his true age, India has uncovered a generational talent in Sooryavanshi, whose IPL season resumes this weekend.<\/p>\n
The Royals need to defeat the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday evening to qualify for the finals, with the match commencing at 8pm AEST.<\/p>\n
And while the contest is expected to feature the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer and Suryakumar Yadav, fans will be more eager to watch the baby-faced teen from Tajpurin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Unlike every other player that has participated in the Indian Premier League, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is younger than the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":690353,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,85],"class_list":["post-690352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=690352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/690353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=690352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=690352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=690352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}