Bishop on Suryavanshi’s century: Unprecedented, astonishing, out of this world

The superlatives flowed freely: "remarkable," "mind-blowing," "other-worldly," "unprecedented," "exceptional." Yet none quite captured the magnitude of what unfolded on Monday night in Jaipur during IPL 2025. A 14-year-old, facing some of the most seasoned bowlers in world cricket, delivered a performance so extraordinary that even Ian Bishop — a man who has seen it all — confessed, "It's hard to really speak logic to this."

In case you missed it: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who turned 14 during the tournament, hammered 101 runs off 38 balls for Rajasthan Royals (RR) against a Gujarat Titans (GT) attack featuring Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Karim Janat, and R Sai Kishore — a combined 694 international caps between them. It was the second-fastest IPL century ever and a moment that stunned the cricket world.

For RR batting coach Vikram Rathour, however, it wasn’t a surprise. "We’ve been watching him closely at nets for months," Rathour said. "We knew he was special. But to do it under pressure, in front of a big crowd, against an attack like that, was truly remarkable."

Suryavanshi's emergence highlights a new era in Indian cricket, one where franchises are giving young players the freedom to fail and express themselves — a major cultural shift, as Bishop pointed out. "A few generations ago, you got two failures and you were gone. Now, players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya, Shaik Rasheed, and Ayush Mhatre are being allowed to flourish."

Reflecting on Suryavanshi's performance, Bishop said: "I don't care what was served up by GT. He's 14. He demolished what was in front of him. Tonight was absolutely mind-blowing, other-worldly."

The Mechanics Behind the Magic

Suryavanshi’s innings included 11 sixes and seven fours, many towering well beyond the boundary ropes. Former India pacer Varun Aaron noted a technical quirk that might explain the teen’s explosive power: a unique, whippy backlift — different from the conventional up-and-down motion — generating immense bat speed.

Comparisons to Yuvraj Singh emerged naturally. Bishop pointed to Suryavanshi’s "pendulum-like" bat swing, reminiscent of Yuvraj’s early days.

What Comes Next for Suryavanshi?

As the cricket world showers praise, questions about managing his future loom large. Bishop emphasized the challenge ahead: "This is new territory — for him, for his parents, for Rahul Dravid. The scrutiny will be massive, and he’ll need a strong support system."

Drawing parallels to Brian Lara’s resilience against early expectations, Bishop stressed the importance of surrounding Suryavanshi with the right people. "His parents, Rajasthan Royals, the BCCI — they all have a role to play to ensure this early high doesn't spiral into a crash."

Rathour and Aaron echoed similar sentiments, noting that being under the mentorship of Rahul Dravid, a symbol of humility and level-headedness, will be crucial. "If Dravid can instill those values in him — stay grounded, keep working — then this could just be the beginning of a remarkable journey," Aaron said.

Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.