RR finally chased down the target of 188 against CSK, thanks to the good start given by their openers. Young Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored his second IPL fifty against the five-time champions, hitting 4 fours and 4 sixes. Many fans believe this innings was better than his century, as he showed maturity and composure rather than just looking to hit every ball.
The batting coach of RR, Vikram Rathour, showered a heap of praise on the youngster. He called Suryavanshi’s batting impressive and revealed that they had been working with him for quite some time. Rathour further added that although the staff already knew the potential he had, it was nice to see him performing in the crunch moments of an actual game.
In addition, the 56-year-old former cricketer said that it was really important for him to stay out there. He stated that even though Suryavanshi didn’t get many balls in the powerplay, the sort of maturity and temperament he showed was terrific. Rathour concluded his statement by saying that these types of innings would only make him a better batter.
“Extremely impressive. We’ve been working with him for a long time now perhaps three or four months and we’ve already witnessed these attributes in him. But it’s excellent to witness him performing in a pressure moment in an actual game.”
Vikram Rathour on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Suryavanshi had a stellar season, scoring 252 runs in just 7 innings. What was even more impressive was his strike rate of 206. The 14-year-old smashed 24 sixes in those 7 innings, and there are only a few players ahead of him. His career highlight is a stunning 101 from just 38 deliveries against the Gujarat Titans — the quickest century by an Indian in IPL history.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi received 500 missed calls after hitting a century against Gujarat Titans
The 2025 season of the Indian Premier League hasn’t been great for RR. They lost many matches from positions they could’ve easily won. Although they didn’t qualify for the playoffs, there were a few positives that the inaugural champions could build on for the next season. One of those positives was the discovery of Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
He shared a story about the reception he received from his friends, family, and fans after scoring the century. The youngster admitted it had become overwhelming for him, as he received 500 missed calls. In a conversation with head coach Rahul Dravid, Suryavanshi revealed that he had to switch off his phone.
“I received over 500 missed calls, but I had kept my phone switched off. A lot of people were approaching him after I scored the century. But I don’t like that. I try to stay away. I had kept my phone off for 4 days; I told you that. I like to be around my people at home and a few friends. That’s it,”
Vaibhav Suryavanshi to Rahul Dravid
Talking about his IPL journey, the wonderkid said he had been putting in the hard work for a couple of years, and it had finally paid off. He spoke about the things he had learned and said it was important for him to play according to what the team needed. Dravid also gave him advice, saying that the next year wouldn’t be easy, as all the bowlers would come prepared for him.