Not Rohit, Kohli or Dhoni, but this batting legend is 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi's cricketing idol
Thirteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has shared that West Indies batting legend Brian Lara is his cricketing idol. He added that while he tries to bat like the Windies great, he is also focused on playing his natural game.
Suryavanshi was recently in the news when he became the youngest player to bag an Indian Premier League (IPL) deal. The 13-year-old was purchased by Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the IPL 2025 mega auction for ₹1.1 crore.
The Bihar batter is part of the India U-19 squad for the ACC U-19 Asia Cup in the UAE. Speaking to Sony Sports Network ahead of the marquee India vs Pakistan match in Dubai, Suryavanshi revealed his cricketing idol. He said:
"Brian Lara is my idol. I try to play like him. Other than that, I try to keep it natural with whatever skills I have and I want to work on that."
Asked about all the limelight around him in the wake of his batting heroics, Suryavanshi came up with a mature reply and said that he wants to focus on the present for now.
"I'm currently focused on my game. I'm not bothered by what's happening around me. I want to concentrate on the Asia Cup first and then take it game by game," the left-handed batter said.
Suryavanshi made a disappointing start to his U-19 Asia Cup campaign. He was dismissed for one, caught behind off Ali Raza (3-36). Pakistan went on to win the match by 43 runs as Shahzaib Khan smashed 159 off 147 balls.
About Vaibhav Suryavanshi's cricket career so far
Suryavanshi made his first-class debut at the age of 12 years and 284 days when he represented Bihar against Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy clash in Patna. The opener was dismissed for 19 & 12 as Mumbai won the game by an innings and 51 runs.
In October this year, Suryavanshi clobbered a 58-ball hundred for India U-19 against Australia U-19 in an unofficial Test in Chennai. In five-first class matches, he has scored 100 runs, with a best of 41. He also made his T20 debut against Rajasthan in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on November 23. The Bihar batter was dismissed for 13 by Deepak Chahar.