‘Full credit to Rajasthan Royals for trusting him’ – Sanjay Manjrekar reacts to 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s impressive IPL debut

Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player in IPL (Indian Premier League) history after making his debut at the age of 14 years and 23 days in the intense encounter between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), on Saturday, April 19. Notably, the game was played at the renowned Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

The youngster opened the batting for the inaugural champions in the second innings as they were chasing a 181-run target. He hit a six off the very first ball he faced and left everyone, including bowler Shardul Thakur, in awe. The Bihar-based batter slammed a 20-ball 34, hitting two fours and three sixes to give his team a flying start.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar called Suryavanshi a “wonder boy” and reckoned that watching his mature knock would have been a proud moment for his parents. The cricketer-turned-expert also praised Rajasthan Royals for allowing the youngster to show his skills at the top of the order.

“Just imagine – parents in their late 30s or early 40s watching this. It was unbelievable. His first two sixes came off good deliveries, and then he showed great maturity against the spinners. He impressed everyone. When he got out, it looked like he might cry – and at his age, that would’ve been completely natural,” Manjrekar said while speaking on JioHotstar.

“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,” he added.

Rajasthan let victory slip away despite strong start

Suryavanshi added an 85-run stand for the first wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, it wasn’t enough for the Royals as they let the game slip from a comfortable position. In the last over, they needed just nine runs with six wickets to spare. However, Avesh Khan bowled brilliantly and conceded just six runs while picking up the crucial wicket of Shimron Hetmyer.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this news article is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and perspective. Readers are encouraged to evaluate the details thoughtfully and draw their own conclusions.

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