"Proud moment, many youngsters will get confidence": Shikhar lauds Vaibhav Suryavanshi's IPL century

New Delhi [India] April 30 (ANI): Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan was full of praise for teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the 14-year-old stunned the cricketing world with a blistering century in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Representing Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a high-stakes match against Gujarat Titans, Suryavanshi smashed an astonishing 101 off just 38 balls, laced with seven boundaries and eleven towering sixes.
While speaking to the reporters, Dhawan expressed both pride and admiration for the young prodigy.
"He performed really well," Dhawan said.
"It's a very big thing to play in the IPL at the age of 14. Playing is one thing, but the kind of confidence he showed is remarkable," he added.
The left-handed opener emphasized the significance of the innings, not just from a statistical point of view but also for the inspiration it provides to young cricketers across the country.
"Smashing big bowlers for sixes at this age--it's a proud moment for our country. By watching him, many youngsters will get confidence," he added.
Dhawan concluded by appreciating how early success stories like Suryavanshi's could redefine what's possible for upcoming talent.
"It's a happy moment to see kids achieving so much success at such a young age. It brings hope and excitement for the future of Indian cricket," he said.
The biggest night of Suryavanshi's career so far witnessed him break several records:
-Vaibhav reached his century in 35 balls, which is the second-fastest century in the history of the IPL, below Chris Gayle's 30-ball ton against now-defunct Pune Warriors India for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) back in 2013. Vaibhav is now also the fastest Indian to score a century in the IPL.
-The left-hander, at the age of 14 years and 32 days, is the youngest player to score a century in T20 cricket history, surpassing Vijay Zol, who was 18 years and 118 days old while scoring a century for Maharashtra against Mumbai in 2013.
-This is also the seventh-fastest century in T20 cricket, with the fastest one belonging to Sahil Chauhan of Estonia against Cyprus in 2024, coming in just 27 balls.
-Suryavanshi also reached his fifty in just 17 balls, the fifth-fastest in league history, making him the youngest ever to score an IPL fifty.
-94 of Suryavanshi's runs came through boundaries, with seven fours and 11 sixes included. 93% boundary percentage is the highest in any century in IPL's history.
-Also, Vaibhav tied with former Indian batter Murali Vijay for most sixes by an Indian in an IPL innings, 11 each, with most sixes overall being hit by Gayle during his iconic 175* against Pune Warriors India, which included 17 maximums.
-Also, the 166-run stand between Vaibhav and Yashasvi Jaiswal is the highest partnership for any wicket for Rajasthan Royals, surpassing 155 by Jos Buttler & Devdutt Padikkal against DC at the Wankhede in 2022.
-Suryavanshi also took just three innings to reach his maiden IPL ton, outdoing Punjab Kings (PBKS) batters Priyansh Arya and Paul Valthaty, who took four innings, as per Wisden.com.
Vaibhav has now made 151 runs in three matches at an average of 75.50 and a strike rate of 222.05, with the best score of 101* in the IPL 2025. (ANI)