‘If First Ball Comes, I’ll Hit It’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Bold IPL Debut Story by Sanju Samson (WATCH)

Sanju Samson revealed how 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi predicted his own first-ball six on IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals. Samson recalled the youngster telling Rahul Dravid he would hit the first ball if it came in his zone.The prodigy later enjoyed a record-breaking season and credited RR’s scouting and belief for his rise.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (file photo)

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The former Rajasthan Royals captain, Sanju Samson, revealed the story behind Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s audacious first-ball six in his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants. Sooryavanshi was one of the biggest revelations in the last IPL season, announcing himself as a fearless talent to watch with his fearless strokeplay.

The 14-year-old announced his arrival in the IPL with a first-ball six and went on to play 34 off 20 balls, including 2 fours and 3 sixes, at a strike rate of 170 in the Royals’ two-run loss to the LSG. Sooryavanshi’s fearless strokeplay and confidence in his first IPL match caught the eyes of fans, commentators, and seasoned players alike, instantly marking him as one of the most exciting talents in Indian cricket.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s remarkable performance came in the match against the Gujarat Titans, where he scored 101 off 38 balls, shattering several records, including the youngest T20 centurion and the second fastest to reach an IPL century. His 35-ball century made him the youngest centurion in IPL history.

Samson Reveals Story Behind Sooryavanshi’s First-Ball Six

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was in the spotlight and shared the stage with Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson at the BCCI Naman Awards. At the ceremony, Samson recalled a hilarious yet revealing conversation between Sooryavanshi and Rahul Dravid before the youngster’s IPL debut at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Interrupting the 14-year-old’s story, Samson jumped into narrating the full story behind his audacious first-ball six. The former Rajasthan Royals revealed that Rahul Dravid asked Vaibhav Sooryavanshi about his game plan because he is young and inexperienced. Sooryavanshi, with his trademark confidence, simply replied that he would hit a six on the first ball.

“Rahul Sir called him into the room and told me, ‘Sanju, we need to talk to him. He’s a very young kid; we have to explain how to go about it,’” Samson said.

“So Rahul Sir asked him, ‘Vaibhav, what’s the plan?’ Vaibhav replied, ‘Kuch nahi Sir, hum to khelenge (Nothing special, Sir. I’ll just play).’ Rahul Sir asked again, ‘What’s your game plan?’ Vaibhav said, ‘Agar hume pehla ball mila to hum pehla hi uda denge’ (If the first ball is in my zone, I’ll hit it in the air). And that’s exactly what he did. He’s playing a video game of his own,” he added.

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finished his maiden IPL season with 252 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 36 and an astonishing strike rate of 206.55 in seven matches. He was also the only player with a minimum of 200 runs to record a strike rate of 200 or more in the last IPL season.

Vaibhav Credits Rajasthan Royals for Changing his Life

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was acquired by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.1 Crore at the mega IPL 2025 Auction, making him one of the youngest and most expensive teenage talents in IPL history. Before the youngster’s acquisition, RR scouted him extensively and was impressed by his talent at an early age.

Speaking about his journey, Sooryavanshi credited the Royals’ franchise for changing his life after spotting his talent early and backing him following impressive performances in domestic and Under-19 cricket.

“When I made my domestic debut, RR had been keeping an eye on me during my domestic and Under-19 games. Their scouting team had been keeping an eye on me for a long time. I felt that I could go to RR because my trial with them had gone very well," the 14-year-old said.

“I am happy to be with RR, as I have improved a lot too in my life while playing for RR," he added.

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is expected to be one of the key players for the Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming season of the IPL. Sooryavanshi was recently a part of the Indian team that clinched the U-19 World Cup, where he had a record-breaking outing in the final against England, scoring 175 off 80 balls, including 15 sixes and as many fours, at an impressive strike rate of 218.75.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was the highest run-getter for Team India with 439 runs, including a century and 3 fifties, at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 169.49 in seven matches.