He’s 14. They’re Playing Fortnite. He Just Made Sports History.
Edition #240
While most 14-year-olds are busy unlocking achievements on Xbox or grinding hours on Fortnite, this teen just did something jaw-dropping—he scored 100 runs in a major professional sports league.
I want you to hold with me for this article, even if you have absolutely no idea what I’m about to talk about in the next few paragraphs, because I’ll show you. Trust me, this is worth your time.
If you’re in the U.S., chances are you’ve never watched a match of this sport. You might not even know the rules. But believe it or not, the U.S. competed in the most recent World Cup for this sport—and even hosted part of it. I guess there’s a reason I haven’t seen an article about this. Still confused? You're not alone. For all non-cricket fans, it’s basically like the EPL in soccer. Heck, we can even compare it to the NFL. That’s how big it is. Just think about how much bigger world cricket would be, then.
Now, for the rest of the world—especially places like India, England, Australia, and the Caribbean—you already know what I’m talking about. It’s cricket. We’re talking global viewership, mega-money contracts, and stadiums packed with 50,000+ screaming fans.
In the IPL, you have bowlers and batters coming from all around the world, not just India. I’m talking Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, Pat Cummins, and so much more. These are some of the best in the world.
So why am I telling you about this?
This guy, who just hit a century against one of the best teams in the IPL, is 14 years old. It’s already a huge deal that he’s playing against grown athletes who’ve competed with the best of the best in world cricket. He’s the youngest to ever debut in the Indian Premier League1.
Meet Vaibhav Suryavanshi:
His name is Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and his story is unreal. Not only did he hit a century, but he also pulled it off in only 38 balls, which is now the 2nd fastest century in IPL history, and the fastest century by an indian player. It has taken the cricketing world by storm. If you think a century is easy, even the greatest in the world (according to Google, it’s Sir Donald Bradman), only has 29 centuries. The greatest in the world, Sachin Tendulkar (at least according to me), has 100 centuries in 24 years of cricket.
“My mother used to wake up at 2 and go to sleep at 11 (PM) because of my practice and then used to make food for me too. My father left his job for me and now my brother is taking care of things. Things were very difficult at home, but God looks after those who aren’t able to succeed despite putting in hard work. Whatever result that I see today, whatever success I attain is all because of my parents.”
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Obviously, this comes with a lot of stuff to think about as well.
For starters, Sachin Tendulkar, a person who many consider as the cricket G.O.A.T., sent out a tweet that read, “Vaibhav’s fearless approach, bat speed, picking the length early, and transferring the energy behind the ball was the recipe behind a fabulous innings. End result: 101 runs off 38 balls. Well played!!” A fake Twitter account behind the name VaibhavOfficia, a fake profile, replied with, “Thank you so much Sir. It’s been a dream to earn a compliment from someone I’ve admired. Grateful beyond words."
Another thing to realize is that the IPL has continued to issue threats to Suryanvanshi, saying that if he takes this all to his head, he could be axed from the IPL.
He also cannot take this performance to his head, and continues to put in strong performances over the next several games. Just because they do one thing right in a game and become an overnight sensation, doesn't mean it’ll stay like that forever and ever. Fans want to see improvement. They want their team to win. If they see a guy not performing well, they’re going to want him out. At the end of the day, one performance doesn't define a career.
Former India cricket star Virender Sehwag believes that the teenager should keep a lid on his emotions, especially when it comes to money and records.
A Final Note:
Vaibhav Suryanvanshi, who cried when he got out in his first game as a Rajasthan Royal for 34 runs against the Lucknow Super Giants, has now not only become an IPL sensation with a bright future, but has become a sensation on planet Earth. Plus, digging into one of the earlier sentences I wrote, THE Sachin Tendulkar has praised this guy.
Think about it in this way. Just replace Sachin Tendulkar with LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Babe Ruth. Now you understand, don’t you?
Thanks for reading, and for all of my non-cricket fans/Americans, the comments section is wide open for any questions. I'll be happy to answer all questions.
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He’s not the youngest ever to play in a professional T20 match, missing that record by 7 days. The youngest person to ever play in a T20 match (world cricket + domestic leagues) was Mohammad Gherasim of the Netherlands. He debuted at 14 years and 16 days old, making his debut against Scotland. Scotland’s team is way worse than all the teams in the Indian Premier League, though, making this a huge accomplishment for Suryavanshi.