The match between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants became even more special when Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai was one among the many stunned by the record-breaking debut made by 14-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi who grabbed headlines this Saturday night for becoming the youngest Indian Premier League (IPL) player.
Just 14 years and 23 days young, Suryavanshi played a s. The game was played at the legendary Sawai Mansingh Stadium, where the teenage left-hander gave the crowd a first-hand taste of his talent with an exhibition performance.
From Samastipur, Bihar, Suryavanshi made his entry in style by hitting the first ball he received for a six an elite achievement that puts him in a select list of players like Rob Quiney, Andre Russell, Kevon Cooper, Carlos Brathwaite, and a couple of others who have also crossed the boundary on their maiden IPL delivery.
Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut! https://t.co/KMR7TfnVmL
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) April 19, 2025
His first innings was thrilling as well as calm, as he smashed a blistering 34 off only 20 balls. With opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryavanshi shared a 85-run stand at the top of the order, laying an excellent platform for his side.
Prior to his IPL debut, Suryavanshi had already shown glimpses of brilliance at the Under-19 level, including a memorable 100 off 58 balls against Australia U-19 in a four-day match.
Although Rajasthan Royals fell agonizingly short, losing the match by just two runs, Suryavanshi’s sparkling debut was the biggest talking point of the evening — and possibly the tournament so far.
