Indian cricketer, 13, becomes youngest player sold in IPL history
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A 13-year-old cricketer has been selected by the Rajasthan Royals, making him the youngest player in history to receive a contract in the IPL auction.
At the age of 13 years and 243 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has signed a contract as a left-handed top-order batsman representing Bihar. His talent sparked a fierce competition in the bidding process between the Royals and Delhi Capitals.
The Royals, after placing the winning bid of INR 1.10 crore (£103,552), are optimistic that his skills will continue to develop, having seen him excel with the India Under-19 team.
Suryavanshi will be playing alongside Jofra Archer on the Royals team, following Archer's signing for INR 12.5 crore (£1.2 million).
In September, during a four-day match in Chennai, Suryavanshi hit a remarkable century against the Australia Under-19 team, reaching his hundred in just 58 deliveries while opening the batting.
That performance established Suryavanshi as the youngest player to achieve a century in youth cricket, reaching the milestone at just 13 years and 187 days old. He broke the previous record set by Bangladesh's current captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, who scored his century at 14 years and 241 days.
"I played my first match for India in the Under-19 ODI last year, so I wasn't feeling pressured," he shared with Cricinfo. "I was aware of the differences between white ball and red ball cricket, and I quickly adjusted my game. The Australian bowlers were coming at me with short balls, so I matched their intensity and played aggressively in response."
According to Cricinfo, Suryavanshi has achieved a remarkable feat by scoring a triple-century, ending with an impressive total of 332 not out during the Randhir Verma Under-19 ODI tournament held in Bihar.
It's believed that the young player looks up to West Indies great Brian Lara and has been getting advice from ex-India opener Wasim Jaffer on how to improve his skills.
