India U19 opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who took the cricketing world by storm with his jaw-dropping exploits in the IPL 2025, is currently making his mark in the Youth ODI series against England.
Suryavanshi produced knocks of 48, 45 and 86 in the first, second and third Youth ODI, respectively. However, his best bit of display came in the fourth game in Worcester, where the 14-year-old prodigy slammed a stunning 52-ball century — the fastest ever in Youth ODIs.
The southpaw went on to score a remarkable 143 off 78 deliveries. His blistering knock featured 13 boundaries and 10 sixes.
Widely deemed as a generational talent, Suryavanshi’s latest feat only adds to the growing list of records he’s been collecting. Earlier this year, the teenager became the youngest player to score a T20 century and the fastest (in terms of balls) Indian to reach a hundred in the IPL
Playing for Rajasthan Royals, the young left-hander took the Gujarat Titans bowling attack to the cleaners as he hammered a 35-ball ton, immediately grabbing headlines and catching the attention of fans and legends alike.
With his recent exploits against England U19, Vaibhav Suryavanshi forced the likes of Ravi Shastri, Michael Atherton and Dinesh Karthik to mention his name during the India versus England second Test broadcast at Edgbaston.
Shastri revealed that the teenage sensation has already been approached for some lucrative endorsement deals. The former India chief coach also pointed out that Rahul Dravid, the RR head coach, is keeping a close eye on him to ensure he doesn't lose his focus.
“In fact, I was speaking to Kumar Sangakkara at the back of the box yesterday and he said he’s been flooded with endorsement offers already, but how he’s handling it is very important. He has got a good bloke in Rahul Dravid there. He’s a mentor, a coach. He is keeping him on the ground. My word, what a talent at 14," Shastri said.
Amidst his success, Vaibhav Suryavanshi was offered a word of caution by former England captain Atherton, who mentioned the downfall of Prithvi Shaw after huge success in U19 cricket.
"It's not an absolute given, though, is it? I am thinking of the fact that Shubman Gill was obviously an India Under-19 player who has come through, but the captain of that team was Prithvi Shaw, who has played a bit but seems to have drifted to the other side a little bit," Atherton stated.
And that's when Shastri referred to the solution. "That’s why at that age it’s very important. You have always found talent in India. At 16, 17, 18. Tendulkar set the benchmark. But it’s where they are at 23, 24, that’s important. A lot of them disappear; hence, handling is every important," he commented.
