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

File picture of India’s Vaibhav Suryavanshi after scoring a hundred against Australia Under-19 during a match against India Under-19
| Photo Credit: R. Ragu

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.

Destined for a steep rise: coach Ojha

“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.

As Ojha recalls the start of their association, it becomes clear why Suryavanshi was a wunderkind destined for a steep rise. 

“It was in 2018 or 2019 that he joined my academy in Patna,” said the 40-year-old coach. “He was so small that when he used to face a sidearm throwdown, the ball would bounce over his head. But he used to take practice very seriously and be at it every day. He used to travel from Samastipur every alternate day for practice. He used to train in his hometown too. A normal kid at any academy bats a maximum 100 balls at a net session. But he would face 400-500 balls in every session. Having said that, everyone works hard. Only a few make it. The elegance and talent was inborn. We just honed it.”

V.V.S. Laxman, the current head of the Centre of Excellence, has also played a role in Suryavanshi’s ascent. “On the basis of his performance in an inter-district senior tournament in Bihar, he was selected for BCCI’s U-19 One-day Challenger Trophy and batted very impressively,” Ojha said. 

“Laxman was there and gave him a chance for India U-19 B in a quadrangular involving England and Bangladesh. In one of the games, Vaibhav was run out for 36. So, he started crying in the dressing room. When Laxman saw this, he came to him and said, ‘We don’t only see the runs here. We see people who have the skill for the long run.’ Laxman saw his potential very quickly. The BCCI has backed him too.”