"More than playing in the IPL, I am happy to play under him" - IPL's youngest signing on working with Rahul Dravid at RR

South Africa v India: Final - ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 - Source: Getty

Bihar's Vaibhav Suryavanshi expressed his delight at the prospect of working with Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid in the IPL. At 13, Suryavanshi became the youngest-ever player to earn an IPL contract in the 2025 auction, with RR signing him for ₹1.1 crores.

The young batter had a base price of ₹30 Lakhs, but a bidding war between RR and Delhi Capitals (DC) helped him fetch more than thrice as much. Meanwhile, Dravid was appointed RR's head coach after his incredible run at the position with Team India, culminating with the 2024 T20 World Cup title.

In an interview with the PTI, as quoted by News18, Suryavanshi said:

"I am really glad that I am getting a chance to play in the IPL. I am excited to play under Rahul Dravid sir, more than playing in the IPL, I am happy to play under him. I have no strategy as such for the IPL, I will just play the way I do."

Suryavanshi recently enjoyed an excellent Under-19 Asia Cup campaign, finishing with 176 runs at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 145.45 in five games.

Despite his best efforts, the Indian Under-19 side ultimately fell short of glory, falling to Bangladesh Under-19 by 59 runs in the summit clash.

"We thought it might be a good environment for him to grow in" - Rahul Dravid

Expand Tweet

RR head coach Rahul Dravid was impressed by Vaibhav Suryavanshi's skillset during the trials, leading to the franchise acquiring him at the IPL 2025 auction.

The youngster garnered attention when he scored a sensational 62-ball 104 in a Youth Test for India Under-19 against Australia U-19 in Chennai in October.

Dravid spoke about the signing in an IPL video and said, as quoted by the Hindustan Times:

"I think he's (Suryavanshi) got some really good skills, so we thought it might be a good environment for him to grow in. Vaibhav just came to our trials and we were really happy with what he saw."

Suryavanshi also boasts a triple-century in an Under-19 tournament in Bihar and made his debut for Bihar in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).

The 13-year-old has played the lone T20 (SMAT debut) and five first-class games for Bihar in his domestic career.

About the author

Venkatesh has been writing cricket news, listicle and feature articles for Sportskeeda for over a year. He loves cricket because of the diversity of the playing fields and its unparalleled nuances, which no other sport presents. He also enjoys the analytical and quantitative side of the sport, which originates from his MBA degree and 10 years of experience in the IT industry in companies like Infosys, Atos and TCS.

Venkatesh ensures proper research from reliable sources and social media trends to gather information, and adds his own dash of creativity to create insightful content.

He started watching cricket in the late 1990s, having been impressed with South Africa and New Zealand’s gentleman-like attitude. Domestically, he supports the Chennai Super Kings for their ability to bring the best out of their players owing to a friendly and conducive team environment.

He admires three cricketers the most – Brian Lara for his batting style, AB de Villiers for changing the paradigm of batting and MS Dhoni for his unique cerebral approach to field placings and batting. Along with cricket, Venkatesh also enjoys watching and playing tennis and basketball. In his free time, he finds pleasure in singing and watching movies and web series.

Know More

Get real-time updates on IPL 2025, live scores, IPL Prediction, match schedule, points table,Result & squad -CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS

Edited by Arshit Garg