Follow UsIn Sanju Samson’s absence, Rajasthan Royals (RR) unearthed another youngster, handing the 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi an IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 19 (Saturday).
Prior to Suryavanshi, Prayas Ray Burman made his IPL debut at the age of 16 years and 157 days. The left-hander made his T20 debut earlier this year against Rajasthan, scoring 13 runs in six balls and smashing two sixes.
The left-handed batter made history in October 2024 when he scored a 58-ball century against Australia U-19, becoming the youngest-ever centurion in professional cricket. His century was also the second-fastest century at youth level, only behind England’s Moeen Ali.
But his talent was realised way before that, when he made his professional debut at the age of 12, making his Ranji Trophy debut against Mumbai. There was, however, a controversy that stole the limelight away from the left-hander.
Bihar sent two teams to play a Ranji Trophy clash, and one of the players was a 12-year-old Suryavanshi. The real story — a journey of a 12-year-old filled with talent pushing through to the top — was lost heavily in all the hullabaloo.
Also Read: Vaibhav Suryavanshi: How this 13-year-old is putting Bihar on India’s cricket map
“I think he [Vaibhav] was 9 or 10 years old when the academy started making him play in regional Under-16 and Under-19 tournaments. He scored big runs. I watched a few of his games, and he would pull the ball on the front foot. I was awestruck and then decided to take him to Patna (Bihar’s capital),” Sanjeev Suryavanshi told Cricket.com.
Since then, Suryavanshi has also scored 100 runs at the first-class level, and also smashed 132 runs, where he struck at 110.0.
"He [Vaibhav] looks ready. I think it's all about keeping him in the best shape and in a relaxed environment, which RR is known for, and then back him,” RR’s skipper Sanju Samson told JioStar earlier this season.
“You never know, in a couple of years he might end up playing for India as well. I feel that he is ready to play the IPL and ready to give a few punches here and there,” he further adds.
The left-hander was spotted smashing the likes of Jofra Archer in RR’s nets, and was also seen clearing boundaries with ease, suggesting that he’s ready for the big challenge.