New Delhi, March 18 Ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have reflected on their plans for the youngest tournament recruit Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
The 13-year-old Suryavanshi became the youngest player in IPL history to get a contract when he was signed by RR for a staggering Rs 1.10 crore in last year's auction in Jeddah.
The teenager's sensational 2024 season saw him dominate both domestic and international cricket. Playing for Bihar against Baroda, Suryavanshi scored 71 off 42 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 to become the youngest Indian to score a List A fifty.
On the international stage, he blazed his way to the fastest youth Test century by an Indian with a 58-ball ton against Australia in Chennai. The left-handed batter also played a pivotal role in India’s run to the ACC U19 Asia Cup final, scoring two crucial half-centuries.
RR batting coach Vikram Rathour lauded the talented youngster and believes with hard work, he will rise to the top. However, he revealed that the teen's IPL debut will take time and depend on the team's strategy.
“I am not sure if we will use him or not, it will depend on the strategy, the surface and the opposition. We acquired his services because he is a very special player. He has a lot of ability, he may be young but I have hardly ever seen a player this young to possess the power he has. The signs are great and if he works hard I am sure he will be a big player,” said Rathour in a press conference on Tuesday.
Rathour, a seasoned cricket professional, joined RR’s coaching setup in September 2024, shortly after the franchise welcomed Rahul Dravid back as head coach, reigniting a successful partnership that elevated India to the top of the rankings in all three formats during their stint together and led the country to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title last year.
“There won’t be much difference. We have worked together before, he is a brilliant coach. I really enjoyed my tenure with him. When we were in the Indian team we were fortunate enough to win the World Cup. Otherwise, there’s not much difference, the IPL is a shorter tournament and Indian cricket is year-long.
“The good thing is that you get to work with the same bunch of players, we might have the same players for up to three years. In the Indian team you have different batters across formats. As far as coaching is concerned it’s about helping the team, supporting the batters, guiding them somehow and getting the best performance out of them,” the veteran said.
Sanju Samson-led RR will take on runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad in their tournament opener on Sunday.
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