The Indian Premier League (IPL) witnessed history on April 28 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur where Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) youngest player, Vaibhav Suryavanshi delivered a sensational performance against Gujarat Titans (GT). The 14-year-old left-handed opener smashed a blistering century by becoming the youngest player ever to do so in IPL history.
He was bought by RR for Rs. 1.1 crore during the IPL mega auction held in Jeddah, and reached his half-century in just 17 balls, by becoming the fastest to score at his age. He went on to score a century off just 37 deliveries by making it the second-fastest century in IPL history, just behind only Chris Gayle’s 35-ball ton.
The young cricketer’s explosive innings not only made him an overnight sensation but also earned him a standing ovation from the crowd and widespread acclaim from fans and cricketing legends.
However, the celebration was soon overshadowed by controversy surrounding his age. In a video released earlier last year, the youngster had stated that he would turn 14 in September 2023. But following the viral spread of the clip his father, Sanjiv Suryavanshi has clarified to the media that his son is actually 13 years old and had misspoken earlier.
This contradiction led to speculation and allegations of age fraud, with many from the public asking for official verification of the youngster’s age.
“When he was eight and half years old, he underwent his first BCCI bone test. He has already represented India at the U-19 level. We have nothing to fear, he is ready to undergo another age test if needed,” Suryavanshi had said in an interview.
RR CEO Jake Lush McCrum informed that the left-hander had trials at the coaching set-up in Nagpur. The CEO also acknowledged that he has the confidence and great talent to play in the IPL.
“He’s been to the high-performance center in Nagpur, he had trials there and really impressed our coaching set-up there. He’s an incredible talent and of course you’ve got to have the confidence so he can step up to the IPL level,” said RR CEO after the mega auction in Saudi Arabia.
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