Veteran Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has lauded teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s swashbuckling entry into top-tier cricket, calling the 14-year-old’s performances so far ‘remarkable’ and ‘unthinkable’.
“How old is he, 13-14? (To play IPL) at the age of 14, is a very big thing,” Dhawan told the Hindustan Times while speaking about Vaibhav’s breakout debut season in IPL 2025 with Rajasthan Royals.
“The way he was hitting the bowlers and standing in front of the big boys of world cricket at such a young age is remarkable. When I look at his confidence while hitting the big shots... it's amazing,” he added.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made headlines in IPL 2025 when he became the youngest player in the league’s history at just 14 years and 23 days, and later the youngest centurion, smashing a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans.
The sensational ton was also the fastest-ever IPL century by an Indian and the second-fastest overall, only behind Chris Gayle’s 30-ball 100.
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“Thanks to IPL, our kids can now dream of getting into a big team from the age of five. Vaibhav manifested that dream. He is there,” Dhawan said. “A big congratulations to him and his family. A very proud moment for all of us in cricket. A 14-year-old kid playing a big league like that and dominating is unthinkable.”
Vaibhav finished IPL 2025 with 252 runs from seven innings at an average of 36.00 and a blistering strike rate of 206.55, which included the record-breaking century and a fifty against Chennai Super Kings in RR’s last match.
The 14-year-old was named the Super Striker of the Season, recognised for his standout scoring rate across the tournament.
Vaibhav has also been making headlines on the ongoing India U19 team’s tour of England, having already scored 48, 45, 86 and 143 in the first four Youth ODIs of the ongoing five-match IND U19 vs ENG U19 series.
His century in the fourth match came in just 52 deliveries, making it the fastest in U19 men’s cricket. He also became the youngest to score a ton in Youth ODIs with the knock.
Dhawan, however, also hedged his praise with a note of caution, emphasising the challenges that lie ahead in the youngster’s journey.
“I feel that the second year is gonna be a bit tough for him. Bowlers will know what his strength is. They are gonna plan better against him,” Dhawan, also an aggressive left-handed opener like Vaibhav, explained.
“He has to face those challenges and grow. How he takes care of his mental health will be very important going forward because expectations will rise. The self-expectation will rise as well. How he is gonna handle all that stuff is what I am looking forward to seeing,” he added.
