4 min readNew DelhiNov 26, 2024 08:28 AM IST
First published on: Nov 25, 2024 at 11:03 PM IST
Vaibhav Surayvanshi was in an India U-19 team meeting ahead of their Asia Cup preparation when a member of the coaching staff broke the news to the 13-year-old that he had been picked by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL mega auction on Monday.
Aged 13 years, 243 days, Vaibhav became the youngest player to be signed in IPL history following a bidding war between the Royals and Delhi Capitals, the former ultimately securing him for Rs 1.1 crore.
“I am speechless…I don’t know what to say. It’s a massive thing for our family. I had a gut feeling that he would get picked but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that there would be a bidding war,” Vaibhav’s father Sanjeev Suryavanshi tells The Indian Express.
The youngster grabbed eyeballs recently when he became the youngest batter (13 years, 288 days) to record an international century, scoring 104 off 62 balls in a Youth Test for India Under-19 against Australia U-19 in Chennai. The left-hander’s century came in 58 balls, making it the fastest Youth Test hundred by an Indian and the second-fastest overall in the world.
“Everything is coming as a flashback to me. I was a cricket tragic myself. But had to kill that dream when I moved to Mumbai at the age of 19 to earn money. I did a lot of jobs. I worked as a bouncer in a nightclub in Colaba, worked at a Sulabh toilet,” recollects an emotional Sanjeev.
“All those 12 years I spent in Mumbai, I used to think when my luck would change. Now my son has made it a reality. I don’t know what the future holds but after this, I won’t have to borrow money from anyone for his cricket,” he adds.
Suryavanshi first made headlines earlier this year when he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar, aged 12, making him one of the youngest ever to play in India’s premier First-Class tournament.
“Cricket is coming back to Bihar. Ranji Trophy has returned. A budget of Rs 450 crore has already been passed to renovate Moin-ul-Haq stadium in Patna. And now Vaibhav has burst onto the scene. He will play for India in the future for sure,” BCA President Rakesh Tiwari tells this newspaper.
Sanjeev is happy that his son will be under the wings of his favourite player Rahul Dravid, who is now at the helm in Rajasthan Royals.
“Over the years, Royals have groomed the youngsters. Be it Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel or Riyan Parag, all are products of the Rajasthan Royals franchise. I sincerely hope that Vaibhav will also follow the same path,” says Sanjeev, who hails from Bihar’s Samstipur district.
Vaibhav’s childhood coach Manoj Ojha, echoes the sentiments of Sanjeev: “Perfect for Vaibhav. There is no better franchise for a youngster than Rajasthan Royals.”
“VVS Laxman rates him very highly and monitors his development. He said last year that the next two years are going to be very crucial for Vaibhav. If someone like VVS Laxman is praising him, then there must be something special in the kid,” says Ojha.
In five Ranji Trophy matches Vaibhav has played, he is yet to set the stage on fire. He has managed only 100 runs with a highest score of 41 against Madhya Pradesh. However, on Saturday, making his debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Rajkot, he smoked Rajasthan’s left-arm pacer Aniket Choudhary for two sixes before being dismissed for 13 off six deliveries.
The one thing that worried Sanjeev was how his son would deal with all this price tag pressure.
“Money is good. Whatever I get, it will go in his fix-deposit. But my biggest fear is how he will deal with this situation. I am yet to have a word with him. I will talk to him and will make sure that this IPL auction doesn’t get into his head, he still has a long way to go,” the father says.
Vaibhav will be in action for India U-19 in their Asia Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday in Dubai.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi with Wasim Jaffer (L) and Bihar Cricket Association president Rakesh Tiwari (in right pic) in Patna. 
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