Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s coach reveals the challenges faced by the teenage sensation. His ‘academics dipped because of cricket’.

IPL produces a new star every now and then. The talent pool is large enough for that. However, one doesn’t hear about a 14-year-old taking international bowlers to the stands on debut. Vaibhav Suryavanshi has become exactly that. The teenager has suddenly taken everyone by surprise with his sensational innings on debut.

Dream debut

RR captain Sanju Samson was injured in a match against the Delhi Capitals last week. Samson was retired hurt and, after scans, was declared unfit for the next match. This provided Suryavanshi with the opportunity to make his debut. The young opener took the opportunity with both hands and made it a memorable one.

Playing against the Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur, RR were chasing a target of 181 runs. Suryavanshi provided the perfect start to his team, as he hit his first ball for a maximum against Shardul Thakur. In the next over, he hit a six again. This time it was off Avesh Khan. The teenager had arrived at the biggest stage.

Vaibhav went on to score a brisk 34 off just 20 balls, with two fours and three sixes. He had an impressive strike rate of 170. However, his team could not make use of his efforts as they lost a thriller.

Coach talks about challenges

Suryavanshi’s childhood coach, Brajesh Jha, talked about the batter while speaking to OneIndia Hindi. He said, “This child has faced challenges since childhood. Reaching this point took great effort. It’s heartening to see him perform well in his debut match, and we are hopeful for an even brighter future.”

Talking about how Vaibhav is managing academics with cricket, Jha said, “Yes, his academic performance did dip slightly once he got serious about cricket, but he will catch up on that too. He’s equally committed to both.”

Career so far

Suryavanshi has played 5 first-class games for Bihar so far. He also scored a 58-ball century for India Under-19 against Australia Under-19. Ahead of IPL 2025, Vaibhav was contracted in the mega auction. RR sealed the deal at INR 1.1 crore.

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