Who is Vaibhav Suryavanshi? Inside IPL teenager’s stunning rise amid age rumours

Vaibhav Suryavanshi was only 10, his dad literally bet the family farm on his success. Now he’ll have a billion eyes following every move. Here’s everything you need to know about the kid who could change cricket forever.

It must be a strange thing for a 14-year-old to ponder that the most iconic moment of his cricket career may have passed.

This thought might not be on his mind, but it’s the reality of this stunning piece of cricketing history.

That even if he plays another 20 years Vaibhav Suryavanshi may never eclipse the night he created a global storm by treating three Test bowlers like rag dolls on the way to the fastest IPL century by an Indian.

This is one of the many intriguing threads and hidden challenges of having a boy wonder tear up the IPL.

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In some ways he still looked 14 in a shirt which was a touch too big and had that “I borrowed this from dad’’ look.

But in many ways he looked 30.

And even if rumours of his age records being inaccurate prove true – some put his age closer to 15 and a half – he would still be too young to get his learner’s license on these shores.

There are experienced Test players who lack the strength and timing to hit a six over mid-off.

Suryavanshi can do it when he should be doing grade nine.

SELLING THE FAMILY FARM FOR THE CRICKET DREAM

Born to a family of farmers in the Indian state of Bihar, bordering Nepal, Suryavanshi was cricket mad by four. By 10, father Sanjiv had sold his farm to fund his son’s cricket dream.

“Not just investment, it’s big investment,” Sanjiv told the Press Trust of India in January. “I have sold my land. Financial issues are still there.”

By the time Suryavanshi was 13 it already looked like money well spent. In November, the young star’s talents were acquired at the IPL auction for $200,000 by the Rajasthan Royals, who triumphed in a bidding war with the Delhi Capitals.

By that point Suryavanshi was already somewhat of a known entity in India.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi looks set to pay his family back and then some. Picture: Sajjad Hussain/ AFP

THE RISE

At 12 years and 284 days, he became the third youngest first-class player in Indian history, debuting for Bihar.

Less than a year later he was putting Australia’s best and brightest young stars to the sword. Still just 13, making his India Under-19 debut, he scored a 62-ball 104 in a four-dayer against the Aussie Under-19s. His innings, featuring 14 fours and four sixes, was only ended by a run-out.

Then came the auction, and then the IPL debut last week. Brought in as an Impact Player, he smashed the first ball of his IPL career for a six. The rest, looks set, to be history.

When Suryavanshi was born veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma was four years into his Test career. Last night the youngster put him on a grandstand roof.

One of his recent sixes went for 90 metres, a distance many batsmen never reach.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi has taken the IPL by storm. Picture: Sajjad Hussain/AFP

THE CHALLENGES

Born in 2011 when the series Game of Thrones was shown for the first time, Suryavanshi may well end up sitting on his own throne but with the glory comes many challenges.

As Mike Atherton recently pointed out, Suryavanshi will be robbed of his adolescence and the chance to make mistakes when no-one is watching. He will have a billion eyes on his every move and learn that the only certain thing about fame is that it never comes on your terms.

It’s goodbye forever to those anonymous games of cricket down the park with his school buddies, to roaming around his own city without being noticed.

Is that a good thing? We shall see.

Rajasthan Royals’ teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Picture: AFP

Four decades ago Indian selectors reckoned the great Sachin Tendulkar was ready to play Test cricket at age 14 and they contemplated choosing him.

It was a close thing before one voice at the selection panel said “batting wise he is ready but is it fair on his development as a person - just let him grow up a bit.’’

They waited another two years then off he went for one of history’s most notable careers.

It was significant that watching Suryavanshi’s heroics from the non-striker’s end was 23-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Five minutes ago he was the young sensation of Indian cricket, yet he is almost a decade Suryavanshi’s senior.

Yashasvi Jaiswal enjoyed a breakthrough summer in Australia. Picture: Getty

Suryavanshi hails from the state of Bihar which is a tough place to grow up.

Although his journey to the top is nowhere near as extreme as Jaiswal, who left home to be living on his own in a tent at the age of 10, Suryavanshi would still have seen some things in his childhood that most 14-year-olds in other countries would never be exposed to.

Bihar is the state with the highest number of residents who look to leave to other states for opportunities.

There is crime and hardship.

It’s a reminder that being a teenage cricket prodigy in India is very different to being Sam Konstas in Australia.

The Australian under-19 team could not believe it when a 13-year-old Suryavanshi first announced himself with a century against them last year.

It is incredible no matter which way you look at it - although the one significant caveat to all of this is whether or not Suryavanshi is truly only 14 years old.

His official date of birth is March 27, 2011, but questions over the authenticity of that age were raised after his stunning Under-19s debut against Australia, spurred by a resurfaced interview with a local Bihar media outlet in which he said he would turn 14 on September 27, 2023.

That would make his age 15 years, seven months and two days on the day he notched his IPL ton – still the youngest ever men’s T20 century-scorer.

It’s a rumour father Sanjiv says holds little weight, pointing to the age testing his son has undergone since being spotted as a rising talent by India’s cricket board as a youngster.

“When he was 8 and half years old he first appeared for a BCCI bone test. He has already played India U-19. We don’t fear anyone. He can again undergo age test.”

But just the sheer amount of cricket young stars in India are forced to play means they’re so much further advanced in their cricketing development than their contemporaries in Australia.

Young cricketers in India aren’t looked at as children. Once you’re ready you’re ready. There is no fear. The relentless system in India drills into them that they are not to be overawed.

In that sense Suryavanshi might be 14, but he’s 14 going on 20.

Originally published as Who is Vaibhav Suryavanshi? Inside IPL teenager’s stunning rise amid age rumours