"He will be for Bihar what MS Dhoni is for Jharkhand": Vaibhav Suryavanshi's teammate makes big prediction on RR star after his IPL 2025 heroics

Former Bihar captain Ashutosh Aman has said that Rajasthan Royals' (RR) opening batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi would have the same impact on Bihar cricket as Mahendra Singh Dhoni has had on Jharkhand cricket. The 38-year-old said the southpaw had put Bihar on the cricketing landscape with his sensational hundred against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur on Monday, April 28.

Aman admitted that watching the left-hander clear the ropes against GT had made him emotional.

"When I saw Vaibhav hitting those sixes yesterday, I got emotional. He will be for Bihar what MS Dhoni is for Jharkhand. Vaibhav has put Bihar on the cricketing landscape. People now know about Samastipur. One thing that is in Bihari DNA is that we don't fear because we have got nothing to lose. He started his IPL career by hitting a six off Shardul Thakur and then completed his century with a six off Rashid Khan," Aman told Times of India.

Aman, who was Bihar's captain when Suryavanshi made his Ranji Trophy debut against Mumbai in January 2024, recalled feeling nervous about the southpaw's red-ball debut for the state. However, after watching Suryavanshi bat and score 19 runs in his maiden innings, his doubts about the left-hander's future were cleared.

"Those four days I was very nervous. When I saw him at the nets, I wanted him to play. Even the selectors and Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) officials wanted to blood him. I was worried. What if he got hurt? How would he deal with the pressure? He scored 19 in the first innings against Mumbai, and I nonchalantly said in the dressing room, 'Bihar ko pehla cricketing superstar mil gaya' (Bihar has got its first cricketing superstar)," he added.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi shines as Rajasthan Royals finally return to winning ways in IPL 2025

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) registered their first win after five successive losses against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur on Monday. The biggest talking point of their win was the batting performance of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, whose 38-ball 101 helped RR chase down GT's target of 210 runs with over four overs to spare.

Suryavanshi broke a plethora of records on Monday and ensured that RR still had a mathematical chance to qualify for the Playoffs. The inaugural champions next take on the Mumbai Indians in Jaipur on Thursday, May 1.