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Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history by becoming the youngest player to score a century in men’s Twenty20 cricket.
The left-handed batter led the Rajasthan Royals to an eight-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Jaipur.
On Monday, Suryavanshi hammered 11 sixes and seven fours in his stunning 101 runs off just 38 balls. Rajasthan chased down the tough target of 209 runs in only 15.5 overs.
The left-hander reached his century in just 35 balls. This was the second-fastest century ever in IPL history. He shared a 166-run opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“It is a very good feeling. It’s my first hundred in the IPL and it’s my third innings. The result has shown here after the practice before the tournament,” said Suryavanshi, who was named player of the match.
“I just see the ball and play. It has been a dream to get a 100 in the IPL, and today, it materialised. There is no fear. I don’t think much, I just focus on playing,” he added.
His century also became the fastest by an Indian in IPL history. He broke Yusuf Pathan’s 2010 record, when Pathan scored a 100 in 37 balls for Rajasthan against Mumbai Indians.
“Many congratulations to young Vaibhav Suryavanshi for breaking my record of the fastest IPL hundred by an Indian,” Pathan posted on social media. “Even more special to see it happen while playing for Rajasthan Royals, just like I did.”
Suryavanshi first caught attention when he became the youngest player to sign an IPL contract at age 13. He made his debut this month, hitting a six off his very first ball.
Last year, he played in India’s Ranji Trophy at just 12 years old. He has also represented India’s Under-19 team, where he scored a century off 58 balls against Australia.
He came to the attention of coaches when at a young age he asked: “Why do I need to run singles when I can just hit it for six?”
Sources: Al Jazeera, News Agencies.
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