At just 14 years old, Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history as the youngest player to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL), debuting for Rajasthan Royals during a narrow two-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur on Saturday.
His appearance also placed him among the youngest cricketers to play a T20 match at such a young age.
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Opening the innings in Rajasthan’s 181-run chase, Suryavanshi impressed instantly by smashing his first ball—delivered by Indian international Shardul Thakur—for a six.
He continued with another six and three fours, scoring 34 runs off 20 deliveries.
Turning 14 just last month, he surpassed the previous record set by Prayas Rai Burman, who debuted at 16 in 2019.
The young left-hander partnered with Yashasvi Jaiswal for an 85-run opening stand, giving Rajasthan a strong start. Jaiswal went on to score 74 off 52 balls, but the team’s chase slowed down after his dismissal in the 18th over.
Avesh Khan kept his cool in the final over, successfully defending nine runs to seal a thrilling win for Lucknow. Rajasthan ended their innings at 178-5.
Suryavanshi’s remarkable debut has captured national attention. He was signed for around £103,789 in the IPL auction and previously made headlines at 13 for scoring a century off 58 balls against Australia in an India Under-19 match.
He has already played five Ranji Trophy matches for Bihar, debuting at age 12.
Though Rajasthan fell short, Suryavanshi’s performance marked a historic and inspiring moment in the IPL’s legacy of promoting young talent.
