‘Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s academics did dip because of cricket’: Childhood coach on 14-year-old IPL debutant’s ‘challenges’
Vaibhav Suryavanshi made his debut for RR and became IPL's youngest-ever debutant in history.
When RR took on LSG on April 19, the world was introduced to young Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who came in as a batting Impact Player in the run-chase. Only 14-years-old, he became the youngest-ever IPL debutant, and impressed with a short cameo. LSG ended up winning their IPL 2025 fixture by a narrow margin of two runs, but RR’s teen sensation put his stamp in the match.
Suryavanshi was slotted in as an opener, replacing the injured Sanju Samson, and is expected to feature against RCB in RR’s upcoming fixture. In RR’s run-chase of 181 runs, Suryavanshi smacked 34 runs off 20 balls, clattering two fours and three sixes, and also had a strike rate of 170.00.
Also Read: 'In Pakistan, people would have said throw him out': Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, grabs attention across the border
‘This child has faced challenges since childhood’: Childhood coach on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Speaking to OneIndia Hindi, Suryavanshi’s childhood coach Brajesh Jha recalled the challenges faced by the India U-19 cricketer. “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,” he said.
Suryavanshi’s age also means that he goes to school and also needs to focus on his academics. But it looks like he is currently focussing more on cricket, as revealed by his childhood coach. “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,” he said.
Hailing his former student, Brajesh was asked about how he spotted Vaibhav’s potential. “You don't always see it in one go. It takes time. But Vaibhav always had a natural flow in his batting,” he said.
Vaibhav was part of India’s 2024 ACC U-19 Asia Cup squad, and ended up bagging a runners-up medal. He was key in the semi-finals vs Sri Lanka, registering 67 runs off 36 balls.
RR released an official statement on Monday, informing fans that Samson would not travel to Bengaluru for the upcoming RCB fixture due to his recovery. Samson’s absence means that Riyan Parag will once again perform as skipper and Rahul Dravid could hand another opportunity to young Suryavanshi.
