New Delhi, Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who now holds the record for youngest cricketer to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), wowed everyone with his fearless knock off 34 off 20 balls for Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Though his exploits ended in a losing cause as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) won by two runs, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar lauded RR for unearthing a new wonder boy in Suryavanshi.
“Just imagine—parents in their late 30s or early 40s watching this. It was unbelievable. His first two sixes came off good deliveries, and then he showed great maturity against the spinners. He impressed everyone.
“When he got out, it looked like he might cry—and at his age, that would’ve been completely natural. Full credit to Rajasthan Royals for trusting him, giving him the best possible platform at the top of the order, even with another left-hander alongside. They’ve truly unveiled a new wonder boy,” said Manjrekar on JioStar.
Suryavanshi, hailing from Samastipur in Bihar, began his IPL career with an extraordinary lofted inside-out shot off Shardul Thakur going for a six on his first delivery. He then cleared his front leg to clobber Avesh Khan down the ground for another six.
Suryavanshi would hit three more boundaries before being deceived in flight and being stumped off Aiden Markram in the ninth over.
Former India batter Ajay Jadeja reflected on Suryavanshi’s composed knock by praising his maturity and mindset in playing on the biggest stage in T20 cricket for the first time.
“In those 20 balls, Vaibhav showed everything—fearlessness on the first ball, then maturity in how he paced his innings once Jaiswal took over. At 14, just being out there is huge, and to get 30-odd is remarkable. He was visibly upset after getting out, which shows how invested he was.
“That moment where he was beaten could be down to fitness, and I’m sure he’ll work on it. What stood out was how quickly he bounced back—almost in tears when he got out, but back with the team an hour later. That ability to process emotions and move on will take him far,” he added.
Suryavanshi got his chance to play in the IPL after regular skipper Sanju Samson was ruled out of the clash due to an abdominal strain. RR’s spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said the side were satisfied with how Suryavanshi fared on his IPL debut.
“It was important to give him the chance (to debut) when the opportunity came up. He had been batting well in the nets; his preparation was good, and obviously we missed Sanju. So, he made good use of the opportunity. I just feel he’s a great kid with a really good head on his shoulders.
“I think he’s got a game that’s almost 360 degrees. He’s courageous and brave—you could see that in his approach. Even at that age, he’s very dominating. He wants to play his shots and doesn’t really worry about who he’s facing. His theory is simple: watch the ball and hit the ball,” he concluded.
(IANS)
