'Whatever I am today is because of my parents': Vaibhav Suryavanshi shares his cricket journey from family sacrifices to IPL glory

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old, created history on Monday, April 28, 2025, by scoring the fastest century by an Indian cricketer in the history of the IPL, leading Rajasthan Royals (RR) to an eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

But the story doesn't end there—Vaibhav's rise to cricketing fame is not just about his on-field heroics but also a testament to the struggles, dedication, and sacrifice made by his family behind the scenes.

In a post-match interview, Vaibhav opened up about his story of dreams, sacrifices and the undying belief in himself. A video posted by IPL's official handle showed the left-hander opening up candidly about his struggles, which is now doing the rounds on social media.

Credit: X

'Whatever I am today, it's only because of my parents'

The RR young batter credited his success to his parents and family, whose relentless sacrifices laid the foundation of his journey. In the video, Suryavanshi said, "Main jo bhi hoon, yahan tak apne parents ki wajah se hoon." (Whatever I am today, it's only because of my parents.).

He went on to reveal how his mother, despite all the hardships, wakes up at 2 AM to prepare his meals and send him to practice after barely catching 3 hours of sleep.

On the other hand, his father, who was once the sole breadwinner of the family, gave up his job for his cricket career, and his elder brother has stepped up to support the family.

Vaibhav recalls his first step in cricket and his mentorship under Rahul Dravid

Recalling his first step into the cricket world, Vaibhav noted how his performance in the trial grabbed the attention of RR's scouts, including Romi Bhinder, Vikram Rathour, and Zubin Bharucha, who played key roles in bringing him into the Rajasthan Royals team.

He said, when he came into the team, Romi Bhinder called him and said, Talk to Rahul Dravid; take training under him. This is no less than a dream for a normal cricketer. "Jab team mein aaya tha, sabse pehle Romi Sir ka call aaya tha... Rahul Dravid Sir se baat karna, unke under training karna, ek normal cricketer ke liye dream se kam nahi."

Playing and practising under mentors such as legends like Rahul Dravid and receiving constant encouragement from senior teammates like Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Riyan Parag have kept the youngster grounded and fearless.

On Monday, during the clash between GT and RR, his explosive innings of 101 runs came off just 38 balls, including 11 sixes and seven fours, with 94 runs scored through boundaries.?