In 26 November, the 13-year-old Bihar-born batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi created history by becoming the youngest player to be sold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction 2025.
Suryavanshi was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for ₹1.1 crore on Day 2 in Jeddah, following which many eyebrows were raised on what the franchise’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, wants to do with the explosive young player.
But, nearly after a month of being bought by Rajasthan Royals, skipper Sanju Samson has opened up on the thought process that led to the selection of this young lad from Samastipur.
What did Sanju say?
Revealing the idea behind the move to select Suryavanshi, Samson told South African cricket great AB de Villiers in an interview on the latter’s YouTube channel, “I have seen his highlights. All of the people in the Rajasthan decision-making group saw him bat at the U19 Test match vs Australia in Chennai, where he scored a hundred of 60-70 balls. The shots that he played there, it felt like, that’s something special.”
“We felt like we have to have those kind of individuals in the side and see where they go,” Samson added.
Explaining the logic behind RR thinktank in getting Suryavanshi, Sanju added, “Rajasthan Royals have a history of doing this. They find out talents and make them champions. For example, there is a Yashasvi Jaiswal who came to RR as a youngster and now is a rockstar of the Indian team. There is Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel – they all fall under that line. I think RR loves that kind of thing – yes, we want to win the IPL, but we also want to make sure that we are giving enough champions to Indian cricket.”
About Vaibhav Suryavanshi:
Bought by RR in IPL Auction for 2025 season, Vaibhav Suryavanshi hails from Bihar’s Samastipur.
He made his debut during the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season in Mumbai at just 12 years and 284 days against Mumbai. This was a history on its own.
He caught the attention of cricket experts during the Youth Test series against Australia in Chennai, where he smashed 104 runs off just 62 balls. He also became the youngest centurion in the 170-year history of competitive cricket at 13 years and 188 days.
Recently, Suryavanshi starred for India U19 in the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2024. He finished with an average of 44 and a strike rate of 145.
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