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File photo of Vaibhav Suryavanshi© AFP
Rajasthan Royals' 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi has impressed everyone with his performance in the IPL 2025. Suryavanshi slammed 34 off 20 deliveries against Lucknow Super Giants that included a brilliant six off Avesh Khan. It was an almost perfect start to his IPL career as he provided RR the perfect start and he has already received a lot of praise from both fans as well as experts. Former Pakistan cricket team star Basit Ali gave a mammoth verdict on Suryavanshi and said that he should receive support from the system and commented on the problems he would have faced in Pakistan.
"The 14-year-old kid, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The way he smashed that first ball for six, it's a huge deal. Imagine what would have happened had he gotten out trying to hit the first ball for six? What would people have said? In Pakistan, people would have said, throw him out. But this is how confidence is given, which later pays off," Basit said on his YouTube channel.
Suryavanshi was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
"Look at Abhishek Sharma. Look at Tilak Varma. Look at Jaiswal, Gill. They became big players after being given that confidence, that license to express themselves. And if they play with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, of course, they will become great players."
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old baby-faced cricketer with oodles of confidence and determination, on Saturday became the youngest player to feature in the Indian Premier League as he turned out for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants.
At just 14 years and 23 days, Suryavanshi was the darling of the crowd the moment he walked alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal to open the Rajasthan Royals innings.
With determination writ large on his face, the left-handed batter sent the Sawai Mansingh Stadium crowd into a tizzy when he smacked the first ball he faced -- fourth delivery of the first over from LSG pacer Shardul Thakur -- for a huge six.
The ball simply flew over the extra-cover boundary, even as the camera zoomed towards the RR dugout, where injured skipper Sanju Samson had a cheeky smile on his face.
Suryavanshi, born on March 27, 2011 -- the year when India won the Cricket World Cup under MS Dhoni -- has played just five First-Class games for Bihar in the 2024-25 season.
He had made history in the IPL 2025 auction when, as a 13-year-old, became the youngest to get an IPL contract, being bought by the Royals for Rs 1.1 crore.
He has also represented India Under-19, scoring a 58-ball century in a four-day game against Australia Under-19.
Before Suryavanshi, Prayas Ray Barman was the youngest cricketer to play in the IPL at 16 years and 157days. Barman had played for RCB against SRH in 2019.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman played for Punjab Kings against Delhi Capitals in 2018 when he was 17 years and 11 days old.
Riyan Parag, who led RR on Saturday, is the fourth youngest on the list having donned the Royals' lersey against Chennai Super Kings in 2019 at the age of 17 years and 152 days.
(With PTI inputs)
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