JAIPUR: Vaibhav Suryavanshi has become the youngest player in IPL history — and he made sure everyone noticed. The 14-year-old, who only celebrated his birthday last month, launched the first ball he faced straight for six, making an explosive debut for Rajasthan Royals in their narrow two-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants.
The left-handed opener didn’t stop there. He smashed 34 runs off just 20 balls, including three boundaries and two sixes, showcasing impressive confidence and clean hitting. One of those sixes came off just his third delivery. He dominated down the ground, partnering with Yashasvi Jaiswal in an opening stand of 85 that seemed to set Rajasthan on the road to victory.
Suryavanshi eventually fell stumped to Aiden Markram in the ninth over, but not before breaking the record for the youngest ever IPL player. That record was previously held by Prayas Rai Burman, who debuted at 16 in 2019.
The teenager was bought by the Royals at last year’s auction for ₹1.1 crore (around AED 475,000) — a move that raised a few eyebrows back then. But with this bold performance, he seems ready to silence doubters and make his mark on the big stage.
Despite his fireworks, the Royals couldn’t close out the match. Chasing 181, they looked comfortable until Jaiswal’s dismissal in the 18th over. Avesh Khan held his nerve in the final over, defending nine runs and sealing a thrilling win for Lucknow as Rajasthan ended just short on 178-5.
With the spotlight firmly on him now, Suryavanshi’s fairytale start might just be the beginning of something even bigger.
