Mumbai, Apr 21: Google CEO Sundar Pichai made sure not to miss the historic IPL debut of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who played his first match for Rajasthan Royals in their clash against Lucknow Super Giants on April 19. Pichai took to his official X account to praise the youngster’s fearless batting display, which included a stunning first-ball six off Shardul Thakur.Pichai praised Suryavanshi’s effort and admitted he woke up specifically to catch the live action of the RR vs LSG match to witness the debut of the eighth-grader. His appreciation added to the massive attention the teenager has received since entering the IPL scene.
Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut!,” Pichai’s post read.
Opening the innings for Rajasthan in their 181-run chase against LSG, Suryavanshi came in place of the injured Sanju Samson and partnered with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The young batter’s confident strokeplay lit up the Jaipur crowd and caught the attention of former cricketers and fans alike. Speaking on JioHotstar, Sanjay Manjrekar noted how the knock would surely be a proud moment for Suryavanshi’s parents.
Ever since being picked up by RR as the youngest player in IPL auction history, the hype surrounding Suryavanshi had been massive. On debut, he lived up to expectations, scoring an impressive 34 off 20 balls. His impressive IPL first chapter came to an end when he was stumped by Rishabh Pant off Aiden Markram’s bowling.
Despite an 85-run opening stand between Suryavanshi and Jaiswal, Rajasthan’s middle order failed to carry the momentum forward. Their efforts went in vain, as LSG pacer Avesh Khan bowled a brilliant final over to seal a narrow 2-run victory for his side.