Rajasthan Royals’ Suryavanshi makes cricket history

Last week, 14-year-old Indian cricket starlet Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history by becoming the youngest-ever player to score a century in men’s T20s.

Suryavanshi led the chase as his Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit, Rajasthan Royals, made light work of the 209 runs posted earlier by the Gujarat Titans in Jaipur.

Despite the best efforts of Titans’ opener Shubman Gill (84 from 50) and former England white-ball captain Jos Buttler (50* from 26), Suryavanshi’s record-breaking ton saw the Royals clinch the game with eight wickets and 25 deliveries to spare.

Suryavanshi became the youngest-ever player to sign a contract in the league

The youngster reached this historic milestone in just 35 balls, smashing Rashid Khan for six. This boundary was his 18th of the encounter (including eleven sixes) as he tallied a total 101 runs from 38. Suryavanshi was soon bowled by Prasidh Krishna, but his whirlwind knock had got the Royals to within striking distance of a successful chase.

Alongside becoming the youngest male to hit a T20 century, the teenage left-hander also recorded the second-fastest hundred in IPL history, after West Indies legend Chris Gayle.

Suryavanshi was only signed by the Jaipur outfit in November’s IPL auction, in doing so becoming the youngest-ever player to sign a contract in the league. He hit a memorable first-ball six in his IPL debut in April, and last week’s ton is only another sign of things to come.

However, Suryavanshi’s emergence into stardom has been marked by doubts regarding his true age. In an interview with a local news channel in April 2023, Suryavanshi stated that he would be turning fifteen later that year. If this is still to be believed, not only would the player be well over a year older than is now claimed, but his date of birth would not align with that stated on his official birth record.

A plethora of former cricketers and public figures have also come to the youngster’s defence

Yet, the starlet’s father has been quick to come to his defence. He claims that his son’s official date of birth is indeed accurate, and that Suryavanshi had undergone a bone density test, conducted by the sport’s national governing body, when he was eight to prove this.

According to The Registration of Births and Deaths Act (1969) in India, delays between a birth and said birth being recorded by the local authority are very possible.

Despite this controversy, there is currently no indication that Suryavanshi will be obliged to undertake further tests to prove his age. Since his record-breaking ton, a plethora of former cricketers and public figures have also come to the youngster’s defence, including legendary former captain Sourav Ganguly and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Suryavanshi’s Rajasthan Royals side conclude the 2025 season with fixtures against bottom IPL side Chennai Super Kings and high-flyers Punjab Kings, but have no chance of finishing in the league’s top four to qualify for the playoffs. His emergence, though, has been one recent bright spark in their campaign.

India’s current youngest T20 debutant, Titans’ all-rounds Washington Sundar, has held this record since his debut against Sri Lanka in December 2017, but it looks very likely that Suryavanshi will soon add this record to his ever-growing collection.