Last Nov, Rajasthan Royals caused a stir by bidding Rs 1.1 crore for 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi at the IPL mega auction. The RR talent scouts were no doubt impressed by his feats — a first-class debut for Bihar in Jan 2024, a 58-ball ton, the fastest by an Indian, against Australia U-19s in Sept. But many still wondered if RR wasn’t taking a massive gamble. Would he be able to make the huge leap into the IPL big league, or would he be embarrassed before an audience of millions?
On Saturday night, the moment of reckoning arrived. At 14 years and 23 days, Vaibhav was the youngest to make his IPL de but by some distance — Prayas Ray Barman (RCB) held the previous record, of 16 years & 157 days.
But how would Vaibhav fare? The answer arrived swiftly. Veteran Shardul Thakur delivered a length ball. Vaibhav made room and cracked the ball on the rise over extra cover. A six, off the very first ball he’d faced in his IPL career! Statements don’t get more emphatic than that.
Vaibhav wasn’t done with his first-ball six. Facing another India player, Avesh Khan, he cleared his front leg and swung his third ball down the ground for six. Lady Luck beamed upon the gutsy teen—off his fifth ball, he earned a reprieve when Prince Yadav dropped a skier.
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An undaunted Vaibhav continued attacking and raced to 34 off just 18 balls, with three sixes and two fours. A maiden 50 seemed his for the taking, but Aiden Markram managed to rip a ball past him. Vaibhav’s back foot was in the air as he overbalanced, and Rishabh Pant whipped off the bails in a flash.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest cricketer to play in the IPL.
The cricketing gods can be fickle, and one is reluctant to tempt fate. But in the course of a brief, dazzling cameo, the boy from Samastipur—a town about 100km from Patna—showed he belonged on the big stage.
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