‘He was 11’: Kumar Sangakkara reveals how Rajasthan Royals found out about Vaibhav Suryavanshi – Watch | Cricket News

Kumar Sangakkara, Rajasthan Royals‘ director of cricket, has disclosed how the staff found younger batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi in 2023 when he was simply 11 years previous, two years earlier than signing him. Suryavanshi later made historical past because the youngest participant in IPL historical past when he changed injured Sanju Samson in 2025, scoring 252 runs in seven innings with a strike fee exceeding 200, together with a file-breaking 35-ball century in opposition to Gujarat Titans. The Sri Lankan cricket legend first witnessed Suryavanshi’s batting prowess through the Rajasthan Royals camp, the place the younger expertise confronted worldwide bowlers like Jofra Archer with exceptional ease. “Suryavanshi has already shown himself to be a very special talent,” Sangakkara informed Sky Sports. “In 2023, one of the Rajasthan Royals analysts sent through a text saying there’s a very special player we need to watch, get to trials, and look to sign. And the first time I saw him live was after we had signed him, apart from watching some videos of him batting in the nets in Guwahati, batting against Jofra Archer and other seamers that we had. And he made it look very, very easy.” The Bihar teenager’s batting approach and pure skill left an enduring impression on Sangakkara, who famous the distinctive sound of his bat placing the ball and his environment friendly motion on the crease. “He had a lot of time, the sound of his bat was like a gunshot every single time he contacted the ball. His bat swing is lovely. It’s nice and wide outside the stump and it’s very free flowing. He’s got a lot of time. His movements are very, very simple and minimal and he’s very enthusiastic about developing his shot repertoire and all the shots that you can want in a T20 batter. This is just a start for him to become even better and hopefully very, very special,” Sangakkara elaborated.

Suryavanshi’s IPL debut season in 2025 demonstrated his distinctive batting capabilities, as he maintained a strike fee of over 200 throughout seven innings. His century in opposition to Gujarat Titans, achieved in simply 35 balls, established him as a formidable power within the event and highlighted his potential as a future cricket star. The younger batsman’s speedy rise has earned him an everyday place in India’s Under-19 groups, the place he continues to develop his abilities whereas competing in England. Suryavanshi’s journey from being noticed at age 11 to turning into the youngest IPL participant and establishing himself as a constant performer for Rajasthan Royals represents a exceptional trajectory in Indian cricket. His present involvement with the India Under-19 groups suggests a promising future forward, as he continues to construct on his early success in skilled cricket. The Rajasthan Royals’ early identification and nurturing of Suryavanshi’s expertise demonstrates the staff’s dedication to creating younger cricketers and their skill to identify distinctive expertise at an early age.