Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, makes history in sensational debut as youngest ever player in Indian Premier League history
By Issy Ronald, CNN
(CNN) — Teenage phenom Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest ever cricketer to appear in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he made his debut for the Rajasthan Royals on Saturday at the age of just 14 years and 23 days.
Suryavanshi, who was opening the batting for the Royals against the Lucknow Super Giants, promptly hit his first ball for six to the delight of the packed crowd at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
He eventually scored 34 off 20 balls before he was stumped by Rishabh Pant off Aiden Markram’s delivery in the ninth over, ending an 85-run partnership he shared with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the first wicket.
And as Suryavanshi walked off, television cameras caught him wiping away a tear, perhaps caught in the enormity of the moment.
The IPL is India’s most lucrative sporting competition and one of the biggest leagues in the world, valued at $12 billion in 2024, according to Reuters.
Even Google CEO Sundar Pichai congratulated Suryavanshi on his debut, posting on X: “Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut!”
Despite the history-making day for Suryavanshi, the Royals succumbed to an agonizing two-run loss against the Super Giants.
“It was important to give Vaibhav the opportunity when the right moment presented itself and I think today was the day,” Sairaj Bahutule, the Rajasthan Royals spin bowling coach, said after Saturday’s game, according to the franchise.
“Vaibhav is a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. He almost has a 360-degree game. He is courageous, brave and always wants to dominate. He doesn’t care much for who is bowling to him. His philosophy is see the ball and hit the ball.”
Before making his debut, Suryavanshi had already made history last November as the youngest player to have his rights purchased at the IPL auction. The Royals bought them for 11 million Indian rupees (around $130,000) after a bidding spree with the Delhi Capitals forced his price up.
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CNN’s Ben Morse contributed to this report.
