NEW DELHI: Google CEO Sundar Pichai was among the many stunned by the remarkable debut of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest-ever player to feature in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Saturday evening.
At just 14 years and 23 days old, Suryavanshi made history as he walked out for the Rajasthan Royals in their clash against the Lucknow Super Giants, replacing regular captain Sanju Samson, who was sidelined with a thumb injury.
Hailing from Samastipur district in Bihar, the left-handed batter made an unforgettable entrance, launching the very first ball he faced for a towering six—electrifying the crowd at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
With that audacious shot, Suryavanshi joined an elite list of IPL players who have hit a six off their first delivery, a group that includes names like Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, and Sameer Rizvi.
The young prodigy didn’t stop there. He scored a quick-fire 34 off 20 balls and shared a solid 85-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who top-scored with 74. Their efforts gave the Royals a strong start in their chase of 181.
Suryavanshi’s brilliance didn’t go unnoticed. Google CEO Sundar Pichai took to X (formerly Twitter), expressing his astonishment:
“Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut!”
Vaibhav had already made headlines at the IPL 2025 auction, becoming the youngest player ever to be picked by a franchise. Rajasthan Royals had snapped him up for ₹1.1 crore when he was just 13 years old.
Before his IPL debut, Suryavanshi impressed at the Under-19 level, including a standout 58-ball century in a four-day match against Australia U-19.
Despite his dream debut, Rajasthan Royals narrowly lost the match by just 2 runs. Chasing 181, they fell short at 178/5, with Avesh Khan emerging as the hero for Lucknow Super Giants, claiming 3 crucial wickets—including Jaiswal, Riyan Parag (39), and Shimron Hetmyer.
Aiden Markram (52) and Ayush Badoni (51*) had earlier guided LSG to a competitive 180/5, building a crucial 76-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
The Royals will look to bounce back in their next fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 24 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
