NEW DELHI: In a moment that captured hearts across the cricketing world, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s dream IPL debut ended in tears — literally.
The Rajasthan Royals’ prodigy, playing his first-ever IPL match at just 14 years and 28 days old, lit up the Jaipur evening with an audacious 34 off 20 balls before being stumped by Rishabh Pant off Aiden Markram’s crafty off-spin.
Opening alongside the ever-aggressive Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav wasted no time announcing himself.
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A clean six off Shardul Thakur set the tone, followed by a breathtaking first-ball six off Avesh Khan in the next over, placing him on a rare list of players to hit a six on their first IPL delivery.
The young left-hander showed both flair and nerves of steel, taking on international-quality bowlers with ease, and sharing a brisk opening stand with Jaiswal.
But as cricket has it, glory and heartbreak often walk hand in hand. In the 9th over, trying to dance down the track and work the ball into the leg side, Vaibhav lost his balance and Pant, ever alert, whipped the bails off in a flash.
The TV replay confirmed the inevitable: his back foot was in the air.
What followed was a gut-wrenching scene: the teenager couldn’t hold back his emotions as he walked off the field, wiping away tears.
Watch:
Vaibhav Suryavanshi may have exited with tears, but he left the field having etched his name in IPL folklore.
For Rajasthan Royals and Indian cricket fans, this isn’t just a debut. It appears to be the beginning of something extraordinary.
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