New Delhi, April 29 Batting coach Vikram Rathour stated that Rajasthan Royals knew "they have found something special" when the 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi came for the trials four months back.
The teenage sensation, who was playing just his third IPL match, delivered one of the most astonishing knocks in the league's history, hammering a century off just 35 balls against Gujarat Titans (GT), the second-fastest ton in IPL history and the quickest by an Indian.
Facing a world-class attack comprising Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Karim Janat, and R Sai Kishore, the teenager from Bihar turned heads with an explosive 101 off 38 deliveries.
"We have been watching it in the nets the last few months. So we knew what he was capable of and what kind of shots he could play. He's a special, special talent. Technically, he has a great downswing, which helps him generate that kind of power. Today, he showed everyone exactly how good he is. Honestly, you could keep talking about that knock endlessly." Rathour said in a press conference.
"Saw him maybe four months back when he came for the trials. All of us knew we had found something special. It was up to us to nurture him and bring him to this level. Credit to him, he kept his nerve; he has a solid head on his shoulders; he has shown what he is capable of," he added.
Riding on Vaibhav's masterclass, RR chased down a formidable 210-run target in just 15.5 overs with eight wickets to spare, taking the least number of overs (15.5) to chase down a 200+ target in IPL history.
After a mixed start to the IPL 2025 season, RR find themselves in eighth place on the points table with six points from 10 matches played. While four matches are still left to play in the league stage, RR's chances of making it to the playoffs are hanging by a thread.
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