"Woke up to watch an 8th grader" - Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s quirky comment on debutant in RR vs LSG IPL 2025 match

Meeting With Sundar Pichai In Warsaw - Source: Getty — Alphabet Inc. and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. (Pic: Getty Images).

Alphabet Inc. and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has reacted to Rajasthan Royals' (RR) 14-year-old opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi's IPL debut. The left-handed batter's maiden appearance in the tournament came during the side's clash with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Jaipur on Saturday, April 19.

Suryavanshi became the youngster debutant in the league's history. He showed no signs of nervousness and kicked off his career with a stunning first-ball six off pacer Shardul Thakur's bowling. The talented youngster played an impactful 34-run knock off 20 deliveries.

The southpaw's debut grabbed headlines, even catching Pichai's attention, who wrote on the microblogging platform X:

"Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut!"

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Suryavanshi earned praise from all quarters for his batting exploits. He struck three sixes and two fours during his stay at the crease, finishing with a strike rate of 170.

He set a great platform for RR by forming an 85-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, the team ultimately failed to chase down the 181-run target, suffering a narrow two-run defeat.

"They’ve truly unveiled a new wonder boy" - Sanjay Manjrekaur lauds RR for giving Vaibhav Suryavanshi an opportunity

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised RR's decision of handing Vaibhav Suryavanshi his maiden cap. He opined that the franchise have unveiled a new 'wonder boy'.

Speaking to JioHotstar, the cricketer-turned-commentator said (via Indian Express):

"He impressed everyone. 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, giving him the best possible platform at the top of the order, even with another left-hander alongside. They’ve truly unveiled a new wonder boy."

Rajasthan have failed to perform consistently this season. They are languishing at the eighth spot in the points table, with just two wins from eight outings. They will look to get back to winning ways in their forthcoming match against Royals Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Thursday, April 24.

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Edited by Nihal