Last Updated on 7 days by Charbel Coorey

Step aside Hollywood celebrities. As much as you’ve tried to break the internet over the years, none have managed to do so quite like the sensation that is Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

No one could have imagined a 14-year-old would score a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL), let alone the second-fastest in the tournament’s history off just 35 balls. No one could have imagined that this baby-faced teenager would make a mockery of an attack boasting 694 international caps. At 14, life is supposed to be about school, homework, friends and having dreams you’d like to achieve when you “grow up.”

For Suryavanshi, those dreams are being lived out right now. And how.

This incredible talent shattered both records and Gujarat Titans (GT) in one of the most memorable nights in IPL history. With Rajasthan Royals (RR) chasing 210 to keep their season alive, Suryavanshi took it upon himself to own the contest, smashing seven fours and 11 sixes to even raise Rahul Dravid off his wheelchair in celebration. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who reached 50 off 31 balls, looked like a snail in comparison.

Suryavanshi caught the attention of the cricketing world by smashing 104 off 62 balls for India Under-19s in a Youth Test against Australia last year. When RR purchased him in the auction, it seemed very much a case of investing in the future. For Suryavanshi, his time is now and his time could be for many, many years to come given a batter’s peak doesn’t typically eventuate until the age of around 30.

Suryavanshi’s hundred was a joy to watch. The high bat-lift and incredible bat swing. The audacious strokeplay that brings memories of legends gone by. However, those legends of yesteryear could have only dreamed themselves of producing such a performance at 14.

The stats are remarkable. Suryavanshi became the youngest player to ever score a century in a men’s T20 match, surpassing Vijay Zol (aged 18 years and 118 days) by more than four years. The left-hander’s 35-ball effort was the fastest hundred by an Indian in IPL history, and his 11 sixes were the joint-most by an Indian in a single IPL innings, equalling Murali Vijay’s effort in 2010.

If that wasn’t enough, 94 of his 101 came in boundaries, with the 93.06% boundary percentage the highest ever for any men’s T20 century.

Twitter Reactions to incredible Vaibhav Suryavanshi knock

It needs reminding that Suryavanshi is four years younger than the IPL league itself. Fans and pundits, including those who were fortunate enough to witness the greats of the game in their early years, put this effort right up there with the best ever seen in cricket history.

“Vaibhav’s fearless approach, bat speed, picking the length early, and transferring the energy behind the ball was the recipe behind a fabulous innings,” wrote Sachin Tendulkar on X (formerly Twitter).

Here are some of the reactions to a memorable innings. There is a mix of shock, awe, and humour to digest what was something truly extraordinary.

Suryavanshi’s incredible innings has kept RR alive in the race for the playoffs. Their victory with a mammoth 4.1 overs to spare moves them to six points, six points adrift of the top four with five games remaining.

With this 14-year-old sensation batting like this, anything is possible.