The IPL is responsible for the development of India’s youngest batting talent!
The Indian Premier League (IPL) stands out as the prime platform for local and uncapped players to exhibit their skills on a global stage. With the participation of top-notch international players, the IPL provides aspiring talents with invaluable opportunities to hone their craft. Consequently, each IPL season brings a fresh cohort of exceptional young players to the cricketing world. These young players frequently take their opportunities with tremendous skill, making an indelible impression on the league. There have been many centuries in IPL history, but some of the league's young players were among the first to reach this mark. This article takes a look into the youngest players to reach that astounding mark.
One of the most promising players to come through the ranks in the tournament's history is Sanju Samson. With the exception of two years in 2016 and 2017, when the team was suspended, he joined RR in 2013 and has been a member of the squad ever since. He hit his first IPL century in 2016 and 2017, while he was a member of Delhi. In 2017, he helped his team win by 97 runs at Pune by scoring a century of 102 off 63 balls against the Rising Pune Supergiants. At the time of that knock, Samson was 22 years and 151 days old.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, an incredible talent, debuted in the IPL for RR in 2020. He has now developed into a vital component of the group. In his IPL career, the southpaw has already struck hundreds, both of which came against the Mumbai Indians. In 2023, he scored his first century at Wankhede Stadium. Jaiswal hit a fiery 124 off 62 balls, while RR managed 212/7. But MI triumphed by scoring 214/4, and RR was unable to hold off the total. But Jaiswal, who was 21 years and 123 days old, got a hundred and won MOTM.
Another gifted player who rose to prominence was Devdutt Padikkal, who had a stellar time playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has one century, which he achieved at the Wankhede Stadium in 2021 against the Rajasthan Royals. After RR reached 177/9 when they batted first, RCB took 16.3 overs to reach the total without losing a wicket. For RCB, Paddikkal and Virat Kohli (72* off 47) completed the task. At twenty-one years and 89 days, the left-hander amassed an undefeated 101 off fifty-two, including eleven fours and six sixes.
When he first appeared in the IPL in 2016 as a youngster, Rishabh Pant gradually established himself as a potent hitter and wicketkeeper. Pant has only struck one century in the 2018 IPL at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. With 15 fours and seven sixes in an undefeated 128 from 63 balls, he assisted his side in reaching 187/5. However, they were defeated when SRH scored 191/1 in 18.5 overs. Pant's first IPL century came at the age of just 20 years and 218 days.
(Rishabh Pant Hitting it down the ground)
The first hitter to score a century in the Indian Premier League was Brendon McCullum, who accomplished it in the opening game of the season. But in 2009, Manish Pandey became the first Indian batter to accomplish this feat. He got a century off 67 balls while playing for the Royal Challengers of Bengal. RCB made 170/4, and he made 114* off 73. After that, they shut out the opponents for 158/6 and won by a score of 12 runs. At that point, Pandey was just 19 years and 253 days old.
What's intriguing is that all these players have debuted for Team India. Rishabh Pant has also played a crucial role in numerous victories for the country, highlighting the significance of the IPL.
