NEW DELHI, India (AP) — A 13-year-old cricketer from India’s northern state of Bihar could become the sport's latest Twenty20 batting sensation.
The Rajasthan Royals think so highly of Vaibhav Suryavanshi that they paid $130,000 in the Indian Premier League's mega auction for his services, making him the youngest ever to be selected.
Suryavanshi came to the limelight last month when he scored a century against Australia's under-19 team off just 58 balls before he got out for 104.
At the age of 13 years and 187 days, Suryavanshi broke the record of Bangladesh’s present test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who at the age of 14 years and 241 days held the previous record of scoring a century at youth level.
The Delhi Capitals also showed interest when the bid for Suryavanshi started at his base price of $35,500.
“He’s been to our high performance center in Nagpur, he had trials there and really impressed our coaching set-up there,” Rajasthan CEO Jake Lush McCrum said after the auction ended Monday. “He’s an incredible talent and of course you've got to have the confidence so he can step up to the IPL level.”
McCrum described Suryavanshi as a “hell of a talent” and hoped lots of work will go into the coming months before the IPL begins on March 14 with former Indian captain Rahul Dravid among the coaching panel of the franchise.
Suryavanshi idolizes legendary West Indian batter Brian Lara and often gets tips from former India batter Wasim Jaffer, with whom he met during an under-19 tournament in Bangladesh last year.
Suryavanshi's father, Sanjiv, is his coach and has worked with him since his son showed interest in the game at an early age.
“He is not just my son now, but entire Bihar’s son," the elder Suryavanshi told Press Trust of India. "My son has worked hard.”
The IPL does not have a formal minimum age requirement, but in 2020 the International Cricket Council set the minimum age of 15 for players to compete internationally.
However, the game’s governing body also said at that time that cricket boards can request permission to allow players under 15 to represent their country.
Prayas Ray Barman held the previous record of youngest player to win an IPL contract. He was 16 in 2019 when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru spent about $200,000 for him. But the wrist spinner faded away after playing just one match.
Pakistani batter Hasan Raza holds the record of youngest cricketer to make his test debut — the five-day cricket format — at the age of 14 years and 227 days in 1996.
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