'Cricket in India won't be the same again ' - Ajay Jadeja after Vaibhav Suryavanshi's superlative knock

Ajay Jadeja praised Vaibhav Suryavanshi for his record knock against the Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur in IPL 2025.

The former Indian player found it hard to describe the magnitude of the 14-year-old's knock. Jadeja claimed that every cricketer growing up would dream to have a moment like Suryavanshi as he scripted multiple records and broke many en route to his sensational 101-run knock off merely 38 balls. He said a 14 or 15-year-old would love to have such a moment in the school level local ground matches but pulling that off at the biggest stage like the IPL is a massive feat.

"I don't have the vocabulary to fully explain the emotions I'm feeling. I'll try to put it this way: every one of us who played cricket dreamt of moments like this in our drawing rooms or local grounds. At 14 or 15, we all dreamt differently, but this is what you dream about — to go out and live it in the IPL against players with such experience and talent," Jadeja claimed.

He claimed that it was not just about the youngster's technique or the quality of the bowling attack he faced, but it was his mindset which stood out. Jadeja was in awe of Suryavanshi's calculated aggression as he did not worry about the outcome. 

Ajay Jadeja brings MS Dhoni analogy with Vaibhav Suryavanshi

"It's not just the technique or the bowling attacks he faced — it’s the mindset that stands out. The belief to carry on even after the high of that over, the ability to stay in the moment, to keep flowing without hesitation — that’s what truly blows me away. Physical skills can be found, but for a 14-year-old to believe in himself like this is extraordinary. Even if someone says it was just his lucky day, what he has shown is something else," Jadeja added.

Suryavanshi's stellar knock included seven fours anda whopping 11 sixes. He brought up his half-century in just 17 balls and followed it up with a century off merely 35 balls. Jadeja claimed that the youngster hitting a six on the first ball of his IPL career against Shardul Thakur was a statement in itself.

"Some shots he played — you have to first dream of them before you can execute them. For a 14-year-old to think like that is unbelievable. Go back to the first ball he faced three matches ago against Shardul Thakur — he showed then that he belonged. When he got out after scoring 30 that day, he was visibly emotional, almost in tears, but within minutes, he was smiling again in the dugout," Jadeja added.

Jadeja proceeded to say that a 14-year-old's ability to overcome his emotions stands out. The former Indian batter concluded by saying Suryavanshi's knock could have a similar impact on youngsters like MS Dhoni had as he inspired kids from smaller towns in India to take up cricket. Jadeja claimed cricket in India would not be same again after Vaibhav's rise.

"The ability to overcome emotions at 14 is massive. His mindset is special. I'm not directly comparing it, but just like MS Dhoni's arrival changed belief among kids from smaller towns, this moment could change how every 14–15-year-old across India imagines their journey. Cricket in India won't be the same again," Jadeja concluded.