Fifteen-year-old Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered one of the most stunning innings in IPL history on Saturday, smashing a blistering century against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He says it was fuelled by his critics.
Sooryavanshi became the youngest and fastest batter to score 1,000 T20 runs, reaching the milestone with a breathtaking 36-ball century. His 103 off 37 balls featured five fours and 12 sixes.
The knock came as a direct response to a rare rough patch. Just two weeks earlier, on April 13, Sooryavanshi had been dismissed for a golden duck off the very first ball by SRH debutant pace bowler Praful Hinge. The teenage prodigy refused to let the failure slide quietly.
“After getting out in the last match, I went back and checked my phone,” Sooryavanshi said in a video released by Rajasthan Royals. “I saw a lot of things. I usually don’t pay attention to those things, but when someone says something to me personally, it affects me a bit. I only wanted to answer with my bat.”
His revenge was emphatic. Returning to face Hinge in the very next encounter, Sooryavanshi launched the bowler for four consecutive sixes in the opening over, setting the tone for what would become a record-setting innings.
Despite the magnificent effort, Rajasthan suffered a defeat. But the innings drew universal admiration. SRH skipper Pat Cummins called the teenager his “new favourite player.”
Sooryavanshi has amassed 357 runs this IPL 2026 season at a staggering strike rate of 234.86 across eight matches, including two 15-ball fifties. His performances have many calling for his immediate inclusion in the senior Indian national squad.
