Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is fast rising as one of India’s most promising young cricketers. Born on March 27, 2011, in Tajpur village, Bihar, Vaibhav’s journey began at the age of four when his father recognised his passion for the sport. At nine, Vaibhav joined a cricket academy in Samastipur and later trained under Manish Ojha, a former Ranji cricketer. By the age of 12, the left-handed batter announced himself after scoring 400 runs in five matches while representing Bihar in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. His talent earned him a place in Bihar’s Ranji Trophy squad, following which he made his debut against Mumbai in January 2024 at just 12 years and 284 days old, becoming one of the youngest first-class debutants in Indian cricket history. Later that year, Vaibhav showcased his explosive batting with a 58-ball century for India U-19 against Australia in a youth Test - the fastest ever by an Indian in the format. Rajasthan Royals had called Vaibhav for trials in Nagpur ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. He was asked to score 17 runs from one over and Vaibhav responded by hitting three sixes off the first three balls. After becoming the youngest player in IPL history to be shortlisted for the auction at 13, Vaibhav was snapped up by the Royals, who are certain they have secured a star for the future.
