Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said that Matthew Hayden was surprised by the explosive batting of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi during IPL 2025. Shastri revealed that Hayden had questioned the youngster’s age after seeing fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma hit sixes with ease.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) signed him for ₹1.1 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction when he was just 13 years old. A year later, the left-handed batsman repaid the faith by scoring a century against Gujarat Titans (GT). At the age of 14, he became the youngest player to achieve this feat in the history of the Indian Premier League.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking IPL century shocked the cricket world.
On 28 April in Jaipur, Vaibhav Suryavanshi played one of the most explosive innings in IPL history by scoring a century in 35 balls at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The talented 14-year-old showed no fear against bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan.
Vaibhav scored 101 runs with the help of seven fours and eleven sixes, helping Rajasthan Royals achieve the target of 210 runs in just 16 overs. He won the Super Striker of the Season award after scoring 252 runs in seven innings at a tremendous strike rate of 206.55.
The Bihar-born batsman continued his tremendous form at the youth international level and scored 143 runs off 78 balls in the U19 ODI against England in Worcester. He finished as the leading run-scorer of the series with 355 runs at an impressive average of 71.
Matthew Hayden said, ‘He can’t be a 14-year-old’ – Ravi Shastri
Speaking on Willow Talk Show on LiSTNR Sports Podcast, Ravi Shastri recalled that Matthew Hayden refused to believe Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s age. Shastri, who was commentating during the Jaipur match, said that the 14-year-old player surprised everyone by completing his century within ten overs.
Shastri said, “I was surprised; I was on air in that match in Jaipur. I went on air in the fourth over and I did the commentary twice in a row because by that time we were short of one commentator. By the 9th, 10th over, he had reached 100 and he had completed it.”
He said, “He (Vaibhav) was hitting Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma 10 rows back at extra cover and midwicket. Haydos (Matthew Hayden) was there and he said, ‘Oh, he can’t be 14’ and I said, ‘Come on, calm down.’
Now is the most difficult phase for him – Ravi Shastri on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Ravi Shastri said that Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s talent is undeniable, but the youngster may face a crucial phase in his development. Shastri warned that early success can be costly and stressed the importance of guidance to help deal with pressure and setbacks.
“Now this is the toughest phase for him. Because he has made his mark at such a young age, just like Sachin. Now, in the next 2-3 years, he needs someone to guide him because you can go off track very quickly.”
“It can go to your head; the expectations are so high, you may not be able to handle it. This is where someone has to go and tell him, ‘You are bound to fail at some stage.’ This game is on a level.”
“So don’t worry. It is an integral part of life, but stick to what you are doing, and once you start accepting failure, take it in your stride, only then will you perform well. But this is a crucial period for them,” the former India coach said.
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