Outline:
Rahul Dravid has consistently been known for his composed demeanor throughout his cricket career. However, the seasoned mentor, currently serving as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing Indian Premier League, found it impossible to contain himself when 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit a century in just 35 deliveries, aiding RR in chasing down Gujarat Titans’ score of 210 runs on Monday. A clip shared by an IPL broadcast outlet revealed Dravid momentarily losing balance as he rose from his wheelchair. Once steady again, his celebration was notably exuberant compared to his usual reserved nature.
Dravid has been confined to a wheelchair—or using crutches—throughout the entire IPL 2025 season following an injury sustained while playing impromptu cricket in Bengaluru. Despite this, during IPL matches, he arrives at various venues across the nation in his wheelchair as he continues to recover from the damage to his leg.
But
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s century
caused him to temporarily overlook everything.
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Why did everyone make such a fuss over Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s hundred?
The teenager achieved the second quickest century in IPL history, following Chris Gayle’s 30-ball 100 from 2013. He similarly sped up to reach fifty off merely 17 deliveries. In reality, this particular fifty by Suryavanshi stands as the speediest of the IPL 2025 season. With an impressive record at only 14 years and 32 days old, Suryavanshi claims the title of being the youngest player ever to score a half-century in IPL, surpassing Riyan Parag—who was standing in for Rajasthan Royals—by over three years, along with regularly captaining his team Sanju Samson who falls short by more than four years.
On Monday, Vaibhav Suryavanshi unleashed his bat with great power as he dispatched seven fours and launched an impressive 11 maximums off bowlers including Mohammad Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan, and Washington Sundar. The seasoned 36-year-old Ishant faced particular onslaught, conceding 28 runs in one over. In another instance, newcomer Karim Janat struggled during his Afghanistan debut when Suryavanshi plundered 30 runs from him in a single over.
Suryavanshi’s century was so overwhelming that it entirely eclipsed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s impressive 40-ball 70 with a strike rate of 175.
EXPLORE FURTHER: How VVS Laxman and
Rahul Dravid fostered world record breaker Vaibhav Suryavanshi
What did Vaibhav Suryavanshi remark following the game?
During the post-game awards ceremony, ex-India cricket player Murali Karthik questioned whether he thought scoring a century would attract more attention from opponents.
“There’s no fear here. I’m not dwelling on those things; I’m simply concentrating on my performance,” stated the 14-year-old.
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