3 min readUpdated: Mar 16, 2026 01:20 PM IST
At just 14, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already built a reputation with his fearless batting, but the story behind the first ball he faced in the Indian Premier League debut perfectly captures the youngster’s mindset. Picked up by Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.1 crore, he became the youngest player ever to debut in the IPL history when he played his first match against Lucknow Super Giants last year.
At the BCCI Naman Awards, Vaibhav looked back at the moment. He said, “I made my debut against Lucknow Super Giants. I remember the first ball was in my zone and I just went for it for a six over the covers.” The teenager launched Shardul Thakur’s delivery over the covers for a six, where everyone saw, he wasn’t scared to take risks.
“Agar hume pehla mila, pehle hi uda denge!” 😄
Samson unveils Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s simple yet very effective strategy behind his fearless gameplay! 🙌💪
Watch BCCI Naman awards 👉https://t.co/8W5zMWhfvk pic.twitter.com/0f04IeP6S2
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 15, 2026
Sanju Samson, the former Royals captain, even brought up the story on stage, talking about a chat before the match with head coach Rahul Dravid who was also present there. “I was actually there in the meeting. Rahul Sir called him into the room and told me, ‘Sanju, we need to talk to him. He’s a very young kid, we have to explain how to go about it,’” Samson said.
“So Rahul Sir asked him, ‘Vaibhav, what’s the plan?’ Vaibhav replied, ‘Kuch nahi Sir, hum to khelenge.’ Rahul Sir asked again, ‘What’s your game plan?’” The youngster’s reply left them amused. “Vaibhav said, ‘Agar hume pehla ball mila to hum pehla hi uda denge.’ And that’s exactly what he did,” Samson added with a smile.
Since that day, Vaibhav hasn’t stopped making waves. He became the youngest player to score a century in IPL history, smashing 101 runs off just 38 balls against the Gujarat Titans in Jaipur. He also played a massive part in India’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup win in 2026, blasting a record 175 off 80 balls in the final against England in Harare.
When he was asked about his plan for upcoming IPL, Vaibhav says his biggest goal now is simple, he just wants to help Rajasthan lift the IPL trophy. “My aim is to help Rajasthan Royals win the IPL in 2026,” he said.
