“See the ball, hit the ball!” — that’s been the simple yet deadly effective mantra of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Whether it’s in first-class cricket, representing India Under-19, or donning the Rajasthan Royals jersey in the IPL, the 14-year-old prodigy from Samastipur, Bihar has captured attention with his fearless and explosive batting style.On Thursday, Suryavanshi was part of a promotional video shoot for Rajasthan Royals — and what was supposed to be a casual session turned into an unforgettable moment for the crew. Fitted with a GoPro camera on his helmet, Suryavanshi walked into the nets while five crew members were stationed at the non-striker’s end, recording the session from close quarters.As the bowler charged in and delivered the ball, Suryavanshi launched into a blistering straight drive. The ball flew back like a missile, clearing the bowler and racing towards the filming crew. Startled and unprepared, the camera crew scattered, diving for cover. Some even lost their balance and fell in an attempt to avoid being hit. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the sheer power of the strike left everyone stunned. Had the ball struck any of them, it could have resulted in serious injury or even hospitalisation.
A visibly shaken Suryavanshi immediately rushed to apologize. “Sorry!” he was heard saying to the crew members, genuinely concerned about what could have been a dangerous accident. It was a moment that encapsulated both his raw power and humility.Suryavanshi had already made headlines earlier this year when he smashed a record-breaking 35-ball century for Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium — the fastest century by an Indian in IPL history and the second-fastest overall. That knock put him on the national radar, and he has only gone from strength to strength since.
On his debut India U-19 tour to England this summer, Suryavanshi lit up the youth ODIs with breathtaking performances. He began the series with a blazing 48 off just 19 balls in the opening match. He followed it up with a 34-ball 45 in the second game. Then, in the third ODI, he notched up a half-century off just 20 balls — the third-fastest in India U-19 history.
However, his most iconic innings came in the final Youth ODI at Worcester. There, Suryavanshi scripted history by smashing the fastest-ever Youth ODI century in just 52 balls. He went on to score a magnificent 143 off 78 deliveries, cementing his place as the highest run-getter of the series with 355 runs at an astonishing average of 71.While his red-ball numbers from the two Youth Tests on that tour were modest — 90 runs in four innings at an average of 22.50 — there’s no denying that Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already made a mark as one of India’s brightest emerging batting talents.At just 14, his journey is only beginning — and the cricketing world is watching closely.
