Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s meteoric rise: Ranji Trophy debut at 12, IPL pick at 13

At just 13, Vaibhav Suryavanshi's cricket talent lands him a ₹1.1 crore IPL deal, fulfilling a dream.

He isn’t old enough to exercise the right to vote. He isn’t old enough to drive. He doesn’t have a strand of facial hair yet.

But it turns out that Vaibhav Suryavanshi, at 13 years and 243 days, is old enough to turn heads and spark a bidding war in an IPL mega auction. That happened towards the end of the two-day auction in Jeddah on Monday (November 25, 2024), as Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals engaged in a battle to land the services of a boy whose base price was ₹30 lakh. The latter prevailed by shelling out ₹1.1 crore for the left-hand batter from Bihar.

This is the sort of fairy tale that any cricket-mad kid in India would dream about. He seems to have the talent alongside to have turned this into reality. It is frankly astounding that Suryavanshi, born on March 27, 2011, will turn 14 when the IPL’s 18th edition kicks off in the summer of 2025.

And even at such a young age, it’s not as though Suryavanshi has sprung up out of nowhere. In January this year, he garnered headlines when he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar against Mumbai aged 12, becoming one of the youngest to feature in the First Class competition’s 90-year history.

In September and October, he was fast-tracked to play for India U-19 in two four-day matches against Australia U-19. In the first game in Chennai, he plundered a 58-ball century. He is currently with the India U-19 team in the UAE for the Asia Cup.

While Suryavanshi’s acquisition by Royals was still surprising to many, his coach, Manish Ojha, was fully expecting the teen to attract some interest. That Rajasthan, a franchise known to groom youngsters, was the one to back Suryavanshi to the hilt is a welcome bonus.

“It may have been unexpected for others, but personally, I was convinced that he will be acquired and at a good price tag. The fact that he has been picked and will play in the IPL is a very big thing,” Ojha, a former Ranji Trophy player for Bihar and Jharkhand, told The Hindu.