While Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer dominated the headlines in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction after becoming the league's two most expensive players in the competition's history, the Rajasthan Royals stunned the cricketing world after purchasing Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
For those unversed, Suryavanshi is the youngest player in history to be sold in an IPL auction. If he plays a match for the 2008 champions in the 2025 season, he will also become the youngest cricketer to play in the cash-rich league. Quite incredibly, the 13-year-old also became a crorepati after bidding between RR and Delhi Capitals (DC) in the auction before being sold for a stunning Rs. 1.1 crore.

Sanju Samson Makes Bold Prediction On Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Samson claimed that Suryavanshi was not there just to make up the numbers and claimed he was ready to play in the league. The opening batter will celebrate his 14th birthday on 27th March. The youngster was born just a week before India won the 2011 World Cup under MS Dhoni's captaincy. Suryavanshi could play against Dhoni in the 2025 campaign when RR face Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Aged 43, the CSK legend is the oldest player in the 2025 IPL. Samson also put massive faith in the youngster's ability and backed him to play for India in a couple of years.
"I don't like to go and give advice. My way of approaching a young guy is to sit back and observe what he likes and how he wants to play his cricket and ask him what kind of support he wants from me. And then I work my way around it. But he looks very confident. He was sitting sixes out of the ground in the academy. So what else can I do? I think it's all about understanding his strength, backing it and being around as an elder brother.
"He looks ready. I think it's all about keeping him in the best shape and in a relaxed environment, which RR is known for, and then backing him. You never know, in a couple of years, he might end up playing for India as well. I feel that he is ready," Samson said in an interaction with JioHostar.
If Samson's prediction comes true and the Bihar cricketer dons the Indian jersey in the next couple of years, he will make his debut for the country at the age of either 15 or 16. Suryanashi could become the youngest cricketer to play for India in history. The record currently belongs to Sachin Tendulkar, who made his Test debut in 1989 against Pakistan, aged 16 years and 205 days. A few days later, he made his ODI debut for India against the same opposition at the age of 16 years and 328 days. Washington Sundar (18 years, 80 days) holds the record for being the youngest Indian to play a T20I match.
Vaibhav has already played for the Indian U-19 and is the youngest player in history to play for the national team in Youth Test as well as Youth ODIs.
Talking about the 2025 IPL, this will mark RR's first season after Rahul Dravid took charge of the team. The Indian cricket legend previously played for them for three years between 2011 and 2013. He also captained them for his last two seasons as an IPL player. Dravid was the franchise's mentor in 2014 and 2015.
This will also mark the ex-Indian captain's first job since his tenure as the Indian cricket team head coach ended in June 2024 after the national team's historic T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. Dravid served in the top job for two and a half years after taking charge in November 2021.