“13-Year-Old Vaibhav Suryavanshi: Youngest IPL Player, Bihar’s Cricket Star”
A 13-year-old boy, who speaks less but lets his bat do all the talking, was signed by Rajasthan Royals for ₹1.10 crore after an intense bidding war at the IPL auction. This makes him the youngest player ever to feature in the world’s biggest cricket league.
On Monday evening in Jeddah, the name of Bihar’s young cricket prodigy, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, was etched in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). At just 13 years and 243 days old, he became the youngest player to secure an IPL contract.
Vaibhav entered the 2025 IPL mega auction with a base price of ₹30 lakh, making him the youngest player listed in the 16-year history of the tournament. The young left-handed batter was eventually picked by Rajasthan Royals, who outbid Delhi Capitals in a heated bidding war to bag him for ₹1.10 crore.
“He is a player who seems to have come to this world only to play cricket,” said Bihar Ranji coach Pramod Kumar. Under Kumar’s guidance, Vaibhav is sharpening his skills and showing great eagerness to learn all aspects of the game.
“He speaks very little but can talk endlessly about cricket. He doesn’t rest even during breaks; instead, he practices fielding, knocking, or stretching with senior players,” Kumar added.
Vaibhav has already made headlines by becoming the youngest international centurion in cricket’s 170-year history. At 13 years and 188 days old, in September this year, he smashed a stunning 62-ball 104 in a youth test for India Under-19 against Australia Under-19 in Chennai. He reached his century in just 58 balls, making him the fastest Indian youth test centurion and the second-fastest in the world.
Hailing from Samastipur, Bihar, Vaibhav also holds the record for being the youngest debutant in Ranji Trophy history. At 12 years and 284 days, he played against Mumbai, breaking records held by cricket legends like Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar.
Sanjeev Suryavanshi, Vaibhav’s father, is a small farmer and part-time journalist with a Hindi daily in Tajpur, Samastipur. He recently sold one kattha of land to support his son’s cricketing dreams. “Vaibhav received trial calls from both Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals. During his RR trial in Nagpur, he was tasked with scoring 17 runs in one over. He smashed three consecutive sixes in the first three balls. His performance impressed both teams, which led to intense bidding at the auction,” said Sanjeev.
Vaibhav has been a standout performer in domestic cricket as well. In the 2023 Cooch Behar Trophy, he scored 151 runs off 128 balls, including 22 fours and three sixes, against Jharkhand. He also played in a quadrangular U-19 series, scoring 53, 74, 0, 41, and 0 in five matches. To date, Vaibhav has played five first-class matches.
Vaibhav’s rapid rise is remarkable, especially considering the challenges Bihar cricket has faced since rejoining the BCCI domestic fold in the 2018-19 season.
Five Youngest Players in IPL History:
Allah Ghazanfar (Afghanistan) – 18 years, 248 days (Spinner)
Vaibhav Suryavanshi (India) – 13 years (Batter)
Ayush Mhatre (India) – 17 years, 130 days (Batter)
Andre Siddharth (India) – 18 years, 87 days (Batter)
Kwena Maphaka (South Africa) – 18 years, 229 days (Pacer)
