Alphabet Inc. and Google CEO Sundar Pichai responded to the IPL debut of 14-year-old opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who played for Rajasthan Royals (RR). The young left-hander made his first appearance in the league during RR’s match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Jaipur on Saturday, April 19.
Suryavanshi made history as the youngest player ever to debut in the IPL. Showing remarkable composure, he launched his innings with a spectacular first-ball six off Shardul Thakur. The promising talent went on to score a quickfire 34 off just 20 balls.
His memorable debut generated widespread attention, including a reaction from Sundar Pichai on X (formerly Twitter):
“Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut!”
Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut! https://t.co/KMR7TfnVmL
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) April 19, 2025
Suryavanshi received acclaim for his impressive performance with the bat. He hammered three sixes and two fours, ending with a strike rate of 170. His solid start with Yashasvi Jaiswal, sharing an 85-run opening stand, gave RR a strong foundation. Despite the start, the team missed the 181-run target, falling short by just two runs.
Sanjay Manjrekar praises RR for backing Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar applauded RR’s move to hand Vaibhav Suryavanshi his debut cap, calling the youngster a new ‘wonder boy’. In a conversation with JioHotstar (as quoted by Indian Express), the former cricketer-turned-commentator shared his thoughts:
“He impressed everyone. When he got out, it looked like he might cry—and at his age, that would’ve been completely natural. Full credit to Rajasthan Royals for trusting him, giving him the best possible platform at the top of the order, even with another left-hander alongside. They’ve truly unveiled a new wonder boy.”
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