| Online Desk : The 14-year-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit a breathtaking century in the Indian Premier League on Monday, and made it one of the greatest innings in men`s Twenty20 cricket history.
Just nine days after becoming the youngest player to debut in the IPL, Suryavanshi blew away observers again with a century in just his third match and, to boot, the second fastest in the tournament`s 18 years.
He got there in just 35 deliveries by pulling Gujarat Titans star spinner Rashid Khan for a six over midwicket, and sending the Rajasthan Royals` packed home crowd in Jaipur to their feet yet again.
Of the 100 runs, an incredible 94 came off boundaries. He hit 11 sixes and seven fours.
"It feels really good," Suryavanshi said. "It is like a dream to score a century in the IPL. What I`ve been practicing for the last three, four months, the result is showing."
He was out three balls later for 101, missing a yorker.
But his 166-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 70 not out off 40 balls, propelled Rajasthan to a remarkable rundown of Gujarat`s imposing total of 209-4 with 25 balls to spare.
Rajasthan made 212-2, winning for only the third time in 10 games to stay in playoffs contention.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India by a considerable margin, and the lucrative IPL has offered a showcase for talent emerging from the population of 1.4 billion to mix it with the sport`s top international stars.
Fervent fans are always on the lookout for the "next" superstar player like Sachin Tendulkar, who transformed from precocious teenage talent into an iconic figure and the leading international scorer in the sport.
The great Tendulkar was impressed with Suryavanshi, who was described by TV commentators during his dramatic innings as an amazing "14-year-old boy."
Suryavanshi rose to fame when he was drafted at age 13 last November. In a splashy debut this month, he whacked the first ball he faced for six at the same venue.
He showed brutal power-hitting on Monday against a battery of seasoned international bowlers including Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma and Washington Sundar.
The teenager smacked Sharma for three sixes and two fours in one over and clubbed spinner Sundar for two sixes and a four to raise the 2025 IPL`s fastest half-century off 17 balls.
Suryavanshi raced to 94 when he belted Afghanistan fast bowler Karim Janat for three sixes and three fours, and raised the hundred against the great Khan.
"It was incredible," Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag said of Suryavanshi. "We`ve spent two months with him (and) we have seen what he can do, but to see him do this against the world-class bowlers ... (I) can`t express in words."
Suryavanshi was patted on the back by his partner Jaiswal as he celebrated, removed his helmet and raised his bat to acknowledge the applause of the home crowd. He also saluted his teammates in the dugout with his bat.
Only West Indies great Chris Gayle has hit an IPL hundred in less balls, 30, and that was 12 years ago.
Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna finally bowled out Suryavanshi, who walked off to another standing ovation and to hugs from teammates.
Left-handers Suryavanshi and Jaiswal raised Rajasthan`s highest stand for any wicket in the IPL, and the teenager eclipsed Sanju Samson`s record of 10 sixes in an IPL innings for an Indian batter.
"Batting with him (Jaiswal) gives me confidence because he keeps very positive, (and it) becomes easy to bat with him," Suryavanshi said. He added he doesn`t notice the crowds much to "just focus on the ball."
Gill and Buttler shine for Gujarat
Gujarat captain Shubman Gill made an aggressive 84 off 50 balls while his opening partner Sai Sudharsan scored 39 to overtake Virat Kohli as the leading scorer of the season with 456 runs in nine matches.
The pair added 93 runs for the first wicket off 62 balls before Sudharsan holed out at long-on in the 11th over.
Gill looked well set for a century but missed Maheesh Theekshana`s low full toss and was caught at long-off.
Jos Buttler cut loose in the death overs with a 26-ball unbeaten 50.
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