Teen prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi lit up the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 opener in Doha on Friday with a jaw-dropping 32-ball century, powering India ‘A’ to a massive win over the UAE. Speaking after his whirlwind knock, the 14-year-old said he simply relied on his natural game and backed his instincts in the T20 format.

“Just Backed My Natural Game”

Suryavanshi smashed a stunning 144 off just 42 balls, an innings packed with clean and fearless hitting. His explosive knock featured 11 boundaries and 15 towering sixes, propelling India ‘A’ to a mammoth 297/4, the joint fifth-highest total in men’s T20 cricket. India went on to register a commanding 148-run victory.

“It was just my natural game, and it’s the T20 format, so I wanted to back my own game,” he told Telecom Asia Sport. “I was dropped first ball, but I didn’t want to change my intent because we needed a big score. The wicket was good, the boundary was small, so I backed my shots.”

His 32-ball ton is now the joint second-fastest by an Indian in men’s T20S, sharing the spot with Rishabh Pant’s 2018 effort, and only behind the 28-ball centuries by Urvil Patel and Abhishek Sharma. It also stands as the joint fifth-fastest century in T20 history.

Credit to His Father and Handling Pressure

Suryavanshi also acknowledged the role of his father in shaping his discipline and focus. “He was strict with me since childhood. Earlier, I used to wonder why, but now I understand. The benefits of that discipline are showing on the field. Whatever I have today is because of him,” he said.

Despite massive attention at such a young age, the teenager insisted he feels no pressure. “There is no pressure because fans come to support. Once I enter the ground, nothing from outside comes to mind;  the focus is only on playing the ball.”