13-year-old signs to play in the IPL – the world’s richest cricket tournament

by Mick the Ram

A young Indian cricketer has secured a deal with a leading Indian Premier League (IPL) team at just 13-years-old.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi from the eastern state of Bihar, was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for 11m rupees (£103,789) to become the competition’s youngest ever player.

He was part of a high-profile auction process which took place in Saudi Arabia where the ten teams who participate in the league bid against each other for the services of the world’s best players, making Vaibhav’s deal all the more impressive.

Although Indian laws ban child labour below the age of fourteen, there are no such rules in place in relation to playing sport, so this is certainly a case of if a player is good enough, then they are old enough.

This step will be seen as natural progression for the teenager after debuting in September for India Under-19’s in a youth Test match against Australia, where he hit a dazzling 104 off just 62 balls before getting run out.

The auction was full of surprises with several big name players missing out on a contract, whilst Rishabh Pant broke the IPL record when signing for Lucknow Super Giants for a mammoth INR 27 crore (£2.54m) – bearing in mind one “crore” in rupees is equal to ten million rupees, to become the most expensive player in IPL history.

Father recognised talent very early

The teenage sensation was born in 2011 – as incredible as that sounds – and apparently began to show his immense cricketing talent aged just four-years-old. The youngster’s father, Sanjiv, noticed his passion and decided to build a small playing area for him in the backyard of the house.

When he reached the age of nine he was enrolled in a cricket academy in the nearby town of Samastipur. Immediately his astonishingly advanced ability was identified and it took no time at all for him to rise through the ranks in Bahar cricket.

Exceptional ability

The talented left-hander has represented his state in national championships, and country at under-19 level, scoring a remarkable unbeaten 332 in a tournament, demonstrating his extraordinary batting prowess.

Delhi Capitals and RR bid for him starting from 3m rupees, but RR – where he had trained previously – managed to seal the deal.

They had spotted his raw potential during training sessions at the club, with CEO Jake Lush McCrum speaking of the youngster’s “incredible talent” and whilst accepting that his development would require some work, he said they were “really excited to have him as part of the franchise”.

Unwavering belief

The news of Suryavanshi‘s auction and the size of his contract has brought a lot of joy to his family, who made some major sacrifices to allow him to reach this stage.

His father Sanjiv is a farmer from Bihar, who had migrated to Mumbai for employment, also working as a bouncer in a nightclub and at a public toilet.

He would drive his son to Samastipur for coaching sessions, covering great distances each time, but never wavering in his belief in Suryavanshi’s potential.  

Long way to go

Sanjiv was lost for words after the auction saw his son sign for RR in a deal worth INR 1.10 crore. Once he composed himself, the naturally proud father admitted one of his big concerns now is to ensure that Suryavanshi remains grounded.

“I will talk to him and make sure that this IPL auction doesn’t go to his head, because he still has a long way to go,” he said.

Big-time players overlooked

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction took place over two days in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, as a total of 577 players made available, and it was not just the big deals that made the headlines.

Legends like David Warner – who is the most prolific overseas batter in the history of the IPL- could not find a team; likewise the brilliant Kane Williamson.

Possibly the most surprising omission was Jonny Bairstow, an explosive batsman and wicketkeeper who has had a significant impact in the IPL in past seasons; yet despite his proven track record, none of the franchises were willing to take him this time around.