Vaibhav Suryavanshi Shines on Debut as Rajasthan Royals Fall Short
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the Royals for placing their faith in the young prodigy.
By : DC Web Desk
Update: 2025-04-20 05:25 GMT
Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi announced his arrival on the big stage with a composed debut knock for Rajasthan Royals, even as the team suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Lucknow Super Giants in a dramatic IPL clash.
Speaking exclusively on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, former India cricketer and JioStar expert Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the Royals for placing their faith in the young prodigy.
Speaking exclusively on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, former India cricketer and JioStar expert Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the Royals for placing their faith in the young prodigy.
“Just imagine—parents in their late 30s or early 40s watching this. It was unbelievable,” Manjrekar said. “His first two sixes came off good deliveries, and then he showed great maturity against the spinners. 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 and giving him the best possible platform at the top of the order.”
Fellow expert Ajay Jadeja echoed the praise, highlighting Suryavanshi’s mental strength and cricketing maturity.
Fellow expert Ajay Jadeja echoed the praise, highlighting Suryavanshi’s mental strength and cricketing maturity.
“In those 20 balls, Vaibhav showed everything—fearlessness on the first ball, then maturity in how he paced his innings once Jaiswal took over. At 14, just being out there is huge, and to get 30-odd is remarkable,” said Jadeja. “He was visibly upset after getting out, which shows how invested he was. But what stood out was how quickly he bounced back—almost in tears when he got out, but back with the team an hour later. That ability to process emotions and move on will take him far.”
While Suryavanshi’s debut stole hearts, it was Avesh Khan’s pinpoint yorkers that turned the tide in Lucknow’s favour. Bowling two exceptional death overs, Avesh conceded just five runs in the 18th and held his nerve in the final over to seal a memorable comeback win.
“Avesh Khan single-handedly won them the game,” said Manjrekar. “No fancy variations—just relentless yorkers. That’s what brought them back into a game they had almost lost.”
Despite a strong start and early breakthroughs, including the wickets of Pooran, Marsh, and Pant, Rajasthan Royals were unable to close out the match. Chasing a modest total, they required just nine runs in the final over but faltered under pressure.
“Things have just slipped away for Rajasthan Royals,” observed Jadeja. “They needed just nine in the final over. In the IPL, you expect teams to finish from there. They started well but didn’t finish well with bat or ball. Those four sixes off Sandeep Sharma in the first innings made a big difference.”
As the dust settles on a thrilling encounter, attention now shifts to the TATA IPL’s “Revenge Week,” which kicks off with a double-header today. Punjab Kings take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru at 3:30 PM, followed by a high-voltage clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at 7:30 PM—live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.
While Suryavanshi’s debut stole hearts, it was Avesh Khan’s pinpoint yorkers that turned the tide in Lucknow’s favour. Bowling two exceptional death overs, Avesh conceded just five runs in the 18th and held his nerve in the final over to seal a memorable comeback win.
“Avesh Khan single-handedly won them the game,” said Manjrekar. “No fancy variations—just relentless yorkers. That’s what brought them back into a game they had almost lost.”
Despite a strong start and early breakthroughs, including the wickets of Pooran, Marsh, and Pant, Rajasthan Royals were unable to close out the match. Chasing a modest total, they required just nine runs in the final over but faltered under pressure.
“Things have just slipped away for Rajasthan Royals,” observed Jadeja. “They needed just nine in the final over. In the IPL, you expect teams to finish from there. They started well but didn’t finish well with bat or ball. Those four sixes off Sandeep Sharma in the first innings made a big difference.”
As the dust settles on a thrilling encounter, attention now shifts to the TATA IPL’s “Revenge Week,” which kicks off with a double-header today. Punjab Kings take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru at 3:30 PM, followed by a high-voltage clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at 7:30 PM—live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.