For what may be the most important revelation in Indian cricket during the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the season could have ended. Though Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, had a tough season with the Rajasthan Royals (RR), he completed his first year with pride. Over seven games, the budding talent accumulated an amazing 252 runs, which included a spectacular century in addition to several other thrilling performances throughout the season.
With a half-century for the Royals, Suryavanshi ended the season and was instrumental in making sure his side did not finish last in the standings. Certainly extraordinary for a 14-year-old, the maturity he displayed at the crease is also remarkable; however, the Bihar boy has had his share of difficulties adjusting to fresh recognition.
In a conversation, the head coach of RR, Rahul Dravid, inquired about how Suryavanshi has been handling the fame that comes with this performance. To the question, Suryavanshi responded, “There were over 500 missed calls, but I have turned off my phone.”
The young talent further added, “A lot of people approached me after the century, but I don’t like that a lot. I kept my phone switched off for 2-4 days. I don’t like having too many people around. Just my family and a few friends, that’s enough.” Handling such a type of fame is not an easy task for a lot of people, and it is admirable to see such a young kid handling it with so much maturity.
With the Rajasthan Royals finishing up all its matches of IPL 2025, the next path for Suryavanshi is the India U-19 camp. With Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathour among his circle, he has two of the best mentors at his fingertips. Dravid even stated that bowlers will be rushing at him hard next season when he goes up to bat.
