Google boss Sundar Pichai reacts to RR's Vaibhav Suryavanshi's IPL debut at 14: 'Woke up to...'

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the Rajasthan Royals' star batter, made his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 36th match of the 2025 edition on Saturday. He created history as he became the youngest player to play in the IPL at the age of 14. Vaibhav announced his arrival with a six off the very first ball he faced. Vaibhav's batting skills impressed everyone, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Reacting to the IPL debut of the Rajasthan Royals' batter, Pichai admitted he woke up specifically to catch the live action of the RR vs LSG match to witness the debut of the eighth-grader. "Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut!," Pichai tweeted.

Vaibhav announced his arrival with a six off the very first ball he faced. The young left-hander went on to score a brisk 34 runs off just 20 deliveries, including two boundaries and three towering sixes, giving the Royals a flying start in a crucial encounter. He was eventually dismissed in the ninth over but left a lasting impression with his fearless batting. The record for the youngest player to play in IPL was previously held by Prayas Ray Barman (played for RCB), who made his debut at the age of 16 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2019. Last year, Vaibhav became the youngest player ever to be bought at an IPL auction when Rajasthan Royals acquired him for Rs 1.1 crore. His sensational 2024 season saw him excel both domestically and internationally.

Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut! https://t.co/KMR7TfnVmL

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) April 19, 2025

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Who is Vaibhav Suryavanshi?

Born on March 27, 2011, in Bihar, Vaibhav is the youngest player to be part of this year's IPL. He made his first-class debut for Bihar in January 2024, at just 12 years and 284 days old. During his debut, Vaibhav scored 71 off 42 balls against Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, becoming the youngest Indian to score a List-A fifty.  On the international stage, Vaibhav set the record for the fastest youth Test century by an Indian, scoring a blazing 58-ball ton against Australia in Chennai. He also played a pivotal role in India's run to the ACC U19 Asia Cup final, contributing two crucial half-centuries.

(With inputs from ANI)