Is Vaibhav Suryavanshi, youngest to earn IPL deal, eligible to play at 13?

IPL Auction 2025: Bihar's Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player to earn an IPL contract after Rajasthan Royals (RR) signed the 13-year-old batter for Rs 1.10 crore. However, questions have risen about his eligibility to play in the Indian Premier League at such a young age.

In Short

• 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi was signed by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.10 crore
• Questions have arisen about his eligibility to play in IPL at the young age of 13
• ICC requires players to be 15 for international cricket, but IPL lacks age rules

Bihar's Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a left-handed top-order batter, became the youngest player to earn an IPL contract after the 13-year-old was signed by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for an impressive Rs 1.10 crore during the IPL 2025 auction. The bidding began at his base price of Rs 30 lakh and escalated into fierce competition between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, with RR eventually securing the talented youngster.

"Vaibhav trained at our high-performance centre in Nagpur, and he truly impressed our coaching staff," said RR CEO Jake Lush McCrum. "He's an exceptional talent with immense potential. While he'll need to continue working hard to adapt to the IPL level, we are thrilled to welcome him to our franchise."

However, questions have risen about his eligibility to play in the Indian Premier League at such a young age: Are 13-year-olds allowed to play in the IPL?

WHAT DO THE RULES SAY?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) implemented a minimum age policy for international cricket in 2020, requiring players to be at least 15 years old to compete at the global level. However, in exceptional cases, cricket boards can request special permission from the ICC to allow players under the age of 15 to represent their country.

Pakistan's Hasan Raza, who represented his country in seven Tests and 16 ODIs between 1996 and 2005, holds the record as the youngest player to debut in international cricket. The right-handed batsman made his Test debut at just 14 years and 227 days old in 1996, 24 years before the ICC rule was formulated.

"The Board confirmed the introduction of minimum age restrictions for international cricket to improve the safeguarding of players, which will apply across all cricket, including ICC events, bilateral cricket and U19 cricket. To play in any form of men's, women's or U19 international cricket players must now be a minimum age of 15," the ICC said in a release.

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"In case of exceptional circumstances, a Member Board could apply to the ICC to allow a player under the age of 15 to play for them. This could include where the player's playing experience and mental development and wellbeing demonstrates that they would be capable of coping with the demands of international cricket," it added.

However, the IPL does not have a formal minimum age requirement, leaving decisions on player readiness to franchises. It's evident that Vaibhav Suryavanshi might not get his opportunity straightaway in 2025, but getting to work with the likes of Rahul Dravid and Kumar Sangakkara is a huge step in the right direction for the youngster.

WHO IS THE YOUNGEST IPL BUY?

Hailing from Samastipur, a town approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Patna, Suryavanshi has already showcased his potential on the domestic circuit. Suryavanshi's cricketing journey began at the age of four when his father, Sanjeev, a farmer, noticed his passion for the game. Despite limited resources, Sanjeev built a small practice area in their backyard to nurture his son's talent. At nine, Suryavanshi joined a cricket academy and quickly climbed the ranks in Bihar cricket.

At just 12, he starred in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, amassing 400 runs in five matches. A few months later, he was named in the India B U-19 squad for the quadrangular series in Andhra Pradesh in November 2023. Although he earned a spot in the India A U-19 team for matches against Bangladesh and England, considered for trials for the ICC U-19 World Cup 2024, he missed the final selection after a poor campaign.

Undeterred, Suryavanshi impressed at Bihar's U-23 selection camp, earning a place in the state's Ranji Trophy squad. In January 2024, he made his first-class debut in an Elite Group B clash against Mumbai in Patna, becoming the fourth-youngest first-class debutant. Since making his first-class debut against Mumbai earlier this year, he has played five Ranji Trophy matches and is currently representing Bihar in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He made his T20 debut against Rajasthan on November 23.

Suryavanshi made headlines with a blazing century against Australia U-19, scoring 104 off just 58 balls. At 13 years and 187 days, he became the youngest player to score a century in youth cricket, surpassing the record previously held by Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.Suryavanshi, 13 years and 243 days on the day he got his maiden IPL contract, has already played for India Under-19 and scored a century opening the batting against Australia Under-19 in a four-day game in Chennai less than two months ago.

AGE FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

However, as soon as Vaibhav got his maiden IPL contract, a section of fans on social media began raising concerns about age fraud. Previously, there had been controversy, with some alleging that Vaibhav's actual age was 15. Addressing these allegations, his father, Sanjiv Suryavanshi, told the news agency PTI, "When he was eight and a half years old, he underwent his first BCCI bone test. He has already represented India at the U-19 level. We have nothing to fear-he is ready to undergo another age test if needed."