At 13 years old, while most kids were knee-deep in textbooks or mastering cricket in the streets, Vaibhav Suryavanshi was busy making headlines as the youngest IPL crorepati! Forget gully cricket; this young star was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for a whopping INR 1.10 crore in the mega auction. it turned into a bidding battle royale with the Delhi Capitals but eventually, RR claimed the prize, making Vaibhav the youngest player ever to be sold in an IPL auction. Who needs a schoolyard when you’ve got a cricket contract at 13?
Making early waves
Vaibhav's cricket journey started early—so early, in fact, that while most kids were still figuring out how to tie their shoelaces, he was acing the U-16 district trials at just 8 years old. Fast forward to 2023, and this cricket prodigy was turning heads in the Cooch Behar Trophy, where he smashed a stunning 151 for Bihar against Jharkhand. Oh, and did we mention that he did it with a strike rate almost touching 118? That’s not just a knock; that’s a run-fest with 22 boundaries and 3 sixes thrown in for good measure! And if that wasn't jaw-dropping enough, he then made history as the 4th youngest player to debut in a Ranji game at just 12 years old. Talk about starting your cricket career with a bang!
The Age Fraud Saga
When a young player starts shattering records and making the cricketing world sit up and take notice, there's always a crowd ready to toss in a little bit of suspicion. And when Vaibhav started making waves, some sceptics even claimed he was actually born in 2011. But Vaibhav's father wasn’t having any of it. He shut down the rumours with a piece of rock-solid proof! Turns out, when Vaibhav was just 8 and a half years old, he had already undergone a BCCI bone test. and the results? Absolutely no signs of age fraud! So, for those doubting, let’s just say: case closed, mystery solved, and Vaibhav’s age is as legit as his talent!
Shattering Records at 13
But hold on, he wasn't just picked for the IPL because of his record-breaking potential. In October 2024, right before the mega auction, he decided to give everyone a masterclass in living up to the hype. At just 13, he was called up to the India Under-19 squad for a Youth Test match against Australia Under-19, and let’s just say he didn’t come to play—he came to dominate. On debut, he smashed a century off just 58 balls. Now, Vaibhav holds the record for the fastest hundred by an Indian in Youth Tests, and that’s a feat even the Aussies couldn’t stop him from pulling off.
Age - Just a Number
Vaibhav backed up his IPL selection with a decent run in the Under-19 Asia Cup, scoring 176 runs in 5 innings. He then represented Bihar in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and rubbed shoulders with some of the big names in cricket at just 13, proving that talent always takes precedence over age. Now, he’s set to learn under the watchful eye of Rahul Dravid at the Royals—someone who's practically the godfather of grooming young talent. Vaibhav’s got the skills, but the real question is: will he seize this golden opportunity, or will he join the long list of promising prodigies who disappeared after an impressive start? Only time and his bat will tell.
