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"Kept Phone Switched Off" Suryavanshi Reveals How He Tackled Instant Fame Amid IPL Success

Bhargav Dixit

Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the youngest T20 centurion. [Source: @M_Raj03/X]Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the youngest T20 centurion. [Source: @M_Raj03/X]

It wouldn’t have been surprising had Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi not played an Indian Premier League 2025 match. What is surprising is for a 14-year-old player to hit the first ball of his IPL career for a six and follow it up with a century and half-century each in the subsequent games.

Having scored 252 runs at an average and strike rate of 36 and 206.55 respectively, the left-hander is the only RR batter with a strike rate in excess of 200 (min. 100 runs) this season. Therefore, not surprising that he enticed a lot of media attention post becoming the youngest T20 centurion last month.

Being asked about how he tackled the ever-increasing interest from the cricketing ecosystem, Suryavanshi’s simple response to Royals head coach Rahul Dravid was around switching off his phone.

"There were more than 500 missed calls, but I’ve switched off the phone. A lot of people approached me after the century, but I don’t like that a lot. I kept my phone switched off for 2-4 days. I don’t like having too many people around. Just my family and a few friends, that’s enough” Suryavanshi told Dravid.

Rahul Dravid Had ‘Kept A Lot Of Money’ For Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Speaking to host broadcaster JioStar after their last league match against Chennai Super Kings in Delhi last night, Dravid revealed how Suryavanshi was always on their radar. Even though Dravid claimed to have “kept a lot of money” for him, they needed INR 1.1 crore to acquire his services.

“He is a very talented player. When we saw him in the trials, we decided to add him to our team come what may. We kept a lot of money for him and didn’t buy some of the players because Vaibhav was our top priority. We knew the dynamics of the auction process,” Dravid mentioned.

Initially perceived to be a basher, Suryavanshi’s 57 (33) with the help of four fours and as many sixes played a key role in Rajasthan sealing a 188-run chase at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. A knock which highlighted his ability to remain patient in certain situations hints at mammoth potential for the future.