IPL 2025: This is just the beginning, BCA Prez says after Suryavanshi's dream debut

Jaipur, April 20 (IANS) The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Rakesh Tiwari has lavished praises on batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi for his ferocious knock on his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Saturday. In what was nothing short of a dream debut, the 14-year-old Vaibhav announced his arrival with a six off the very first ball he faced against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Match 36 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 edition.

The young left-hander scored a brisk 34 off just 20 deliveries, including two boundaries and three towering sixes, giving the Royals a flying start in a crucial encounter. He was eventually dismissed in the ninth over but left a lasting impression with his fearless batting. Rajasthan Royals, however, fell short by two runs as Lucknow Super Giants won the match by two runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday.

Speaking about Vaibhav's knock, BCA President Rakesh Tiwari expressed immense pride and confidence in Vaibhav's future.

"I am extremely happy today after seeing Vaibhav bat in the IPL. I always believed that whenever Vaibhav got an opportunity, he would perform well. I am confident he will continue to play such brilliant innings in the future as well," said Mr. Rakesh Tiwari.

"This is just the beginning. I believe Vaibhav has the potential to be one of the biggest names in Indian cricket in the years to come," he added.

Vaibhav on Saturday became the youngest player to play in the IPL. The record was previously held by Prayas Ray Barman, who made his debut for RCB at the age of 16 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2019.

Last year, Vaibhav became the youngest player ever to be bought at an IPL auction when Rajasthan Royals acquired him for INR 1.1 crore. His sensational 2024 season saw him excel both domestically and internationally. Born on March 27, 2011, in Bihar, Vaibhav is the youngest player to be part of this year’s IPL. He made his first-class debut for Bihar in January 2024, at just 12 years and 284 days old.

During his debut, Vaibhav scored 71 off 42 balls against Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, becoming the youngest Indian to score a List-A fifty. On the international stage, Vaibhav set the record for the fastest youth Test century by an Indian, scoring a blazing 58-ball ton against Australia in Chennai. He also played a pivotal role in India’s run to the ACC U19 Asia Cup final, contributing two crucial half-centuries.

--IANS

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