Aakash Chopra has heaped praise on 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the prodigious opener’s record-breaking century powered Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a dominant win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2025. Chasing a daunting 210 in Jaipur, Sooryavanshi smashed 101 off just 38 balls, leading RR to an eight-wicket victory with 25 deliveries to spare.

Chopra, recalling his own teenage years, remarked, “I was trying to reach close to Delhi cricket when I was 14 years old, and this kid is not just scoring runs in the IPL, he scored a hundred, and it was unimaginable the way he scored it.” He lauded Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach and ability to play the ball rather than the bowler, highlighting the youngster’s composure against seasoned campaigners like Rashid Khan and Prasidh Krishna.

Sooryavanshi’s century, coming off just 35 balls, is now the second-fastest in IPL history-only behind Chris Gayle’s 30-ball effort-and the fastest ever by an Indian in the league. His knock featured 11 sixes and 7 fours, and he shared a 166-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who remained unbeaten on 70. The innings not only shattered records but also underscored the arrival of a generational talent in Indian cricket.