No pizza, no mutton, only cricket: 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi's road to IPL

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Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old from Bihar, made history as the youngest IPL player, sacrificing his favorite foods for his cricketing dream. He impressed with a six on his debut, showcasing fearless batting reminiscent of Yuvraj Singh and Brian Lara. His coach emphasizes his dedication and potential for big scores, highlighting the sacrifices made by his family to support his journey.

NEW DELHI: At an age when most 14-year-olds are relishing their favourite meals at restaurants, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already made some serious sacrifices for his cricketing dreams – giving up his two favourites – pizza and mutton. That discipline is paying off. Hailing from Samastipur, Bihar, the young batter on Saturday etched his name in the history books as the youngest player to feature in the Indian Premier League.

The buzz around him had been building since the auction last year, and on Saturday, he made sure to live up to the hype.

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Wearing the Rajasthan Royals jersey, Suryavanshi took on one of India’s top bowlers Shardul Thakur, and launched him over cover for a towering six — a shot that screamed loud and clear: “I’ve arrived.”

Last year, Suryavanshi became the youngest to get an IPL contract, acquired by the Royals for Rs 1.1 crore.

“Mutton nahi khana hai usko, instructions hain. Pizza hata diya hai uske diet chart mein se [Mutton is not allowed for him as per the instructions. Pizza has been removed from his diet chart]. He is just fond of chicken and mutton. He is a kid, so he used to love pizza a lot. But he doesn’t eat it anymore. When we used to give him mutton, no matter how much we gave, he would finish all of it. That’s why he looks a bit chubby,” coach Manish Ojha told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.

“He will go a long way. We’ve seen the way he started the innings, and I can promise you — he will score big in the coming matches.”

“He’s a fearless batter. He has said time and again that he admires Brian Lara. But he’s a mix of Yuvraj Singh and Brian Lara. His aggression is just like Yuvraj’s,” he added.

Who’s that IPL player?

THE BIG DAY

A day before Rajasthan Royals’ clash against Lucknow Super Giants at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Suryavanshi was hard at work under the watchful eye of the franchise’s High Performance Director Zubin Bharucha. After wrapping up his training session, the 14-year-old packed his kit bag and headed back to the team hotel.

Later that evening, around 8 PM, his phone rang — it was a call from the RR management. The message was short but life-changing: ‘Get ready for your IPL debut’.

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“He was very happy. He called me after his practice session yesterday and said (Rahul) Dravid sir and the management called him and told him that he will be playing against Lucknow Super Giants. He was elated. But was tensed. I said just be calm and play the way you have been. He said chakke waala ball ayega to marunga, rukunga nahi [if the ball asks to be hit for a six, won’t hesitate],” the coach said.

On matchday, Suryavanshi walked out to the middle alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. After a fist bump, the youngster took his place at the non-striker’s end.

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Jaiswal played a few deliveries before rotating the strike, and the moment Suryavanshi took guard, the Jaipur crowd erupted in excitement. The 14-year-old responded in style — by launching a six to announce his arrival on the big stage. He went on to play a remarkable knock, scoring 34 off just 20 balls, before being stumped by Rishabh Pant.

What followed was a heart-wrenching moment: the teenager, overwhelmed by emotion, walked off the field wiping away tears.

“He’s a kid. He’s emotional. He always talks about Rahul Dravid sir and his support. He looks up to him like a God. Dravid sir is always there to support him,” the coach said.

“He always says, ‘Jab chakka maarne ka ball aayega, to chakka hi maarunga. Single leke kya karunga?’ (When there’s a ball to hit for six, I’ll hit a six. What will I do with a single?). Let me tell you one incident. During practice sessions, I usually give a batter a hypothetical situation and assign a couple of bowlers to challenge him — for example, you need 40 runs in 4 overs, or 60 in 6 overs. This guy often steps in and ends up achieving the target with balls to spare,” the coach shared.

THE STRUGGLE

Suryavanshi was born on March 27, 2011 — the same year India lifted the World Cup under MS Dhoni’s leadership. Now, at just 14, he has already played five first-class matches for Bihar in the 2024-25 domestic season.

His cricketing journey began early.

He was only four years old when his father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, a farmer, noticed him smashing a plastic ball around with great power and timing.

After a long day in the fields, Sanjeev would throw underarm deliveries to his son and they would play together. Eventually, Sanjeev created a small practice area in their backyard, giving Vaibhav space to hone his skills.

Impressed by his son’s passion and commitment, Sanjeev took Vaibhav to Brajesh Jha, his first coach, at an academy in Samastipur. After training under Jha, they made another significant move — this time to Patna, where Manish Ojha helped further shape Vaibhav’s cricketing abilities.

The 90 km journey from Samastipur to Patna was no easy task, but Sanjeev was determined. He bought a car and would drive his son to the academy. Vaibhav trained under Ojha on alternate days.

By the time he was 14, Suryavanshi had already become a formidable force in various local tournaments across Bihar.

Whether it was the Heman Trophy, Vinoo Mankad Trophy, the Challengers Trophy (U-19), or the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, Vaibhav checked every box in style, steadily rising through the ranks to reach this significant level in his career.

“He has been a dominant batter whenever he’s come to the crease. He was patient for his turn. He played in Rajasthan Royals’ eighth game. Of course, no one wants to sit in the dugout and watch others play. He was also itching to get out in the middle, but I told him to be patient, keep learning, and wait for his chance. Now the chance came — and he has delivered,” the coach said.

Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.