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"Such Talents Are Rare": Suresh Raina Ignores CSK Star To Pick RR Big-Hitter For India

Arnav Chopra

Suresh Raina, Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com)Suresh Raina, Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com)

After turning heads in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi is gaining recognition worldwide. Recently, in a podcast, former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina picked Suryavanshi over Chennai Super Kings star, Ayush Mhatre.

Raina Picks Suryavanshi Due To His X-Factor

In a debut season that turned out to be the game-changer for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), superstar Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who, at the tender age of 14, smacked a brilliant century in the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2025, is now getting his rewards for being overly aggressive.

In a recent podcast on Subhankar Mishra's YouTube channel, Suresh Raina, a former Indian cricketer and Chennai Super Kings legend, grabbed headlines when he picked Suryavanshi over CSK young star Ayush Mhatre.

Raina picked Suryavanshi due to the X-Factor, as his ability to score runs has been quite wonderful, according to the former Indian and CSK player. He then praised him for proving that players from Bihar are no less than those from other regions, while acknowledging the fact that, thanks to him, his village, Samastipur, is now receiving global headlines.

"Vaibhav Suryavanshi. His fearless approach is different. Mhatre is also good, but Vaibhav has X-factor; such talents are rare. He recently scored a ton in England and scored a century in the IPL. It shows this player from Bihar proves – ek Bihari sab pe bhari (One from Bihar is heavier than all)… Nobody knew Samastipur… A player from a village showed his potential," Raina said on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel.

Raina also praised him for his outstanding century against England Under-19 in a recent series, while his time in the IPL was no less than a feat.

"There was a coach from Bihar who told me that he looked after him. Such players come once in a century, whether it's Rishabh Pant, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, or Rinku Singh… Ayush Mhatre, at the age of 17, right from the very first match [for CSK], whatever he has done [has been impressive]," he concluded.

He then called him a once-in-a-generation player, ranking him alongside Rishabh Pant and Rinku Singh, while he did praise Mhatre for his ability to score runs, but put Suryavanshi ahead of him at this stage.

Suryavanshi And Mhatre's Outstanding IPL Season And England Tour

As for Suryavanshi, he had a wonderful IPL season for the Rajasthan Royals, scoring 252 runs in seven matches this year at an average of 36, while striking at an unbelievable 206.55, with a half-century and a century to his name.

Interestingly enough, he smacked 18 boundaries and 24 maximums during his stay at the crease, with the highest score of 101 coming against the Gujarat Titans, who had Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammad Siraj in their bowling lineup.

Following which, he had a successful tour of England Under-19, where, during the five-match ODI series, he smacked 355 runs at an average of 71, while striking at 174.02, whereas in the Test matches, he was able to gather a 50+ score in the first youth Test of the series.

On the other hand, Ayush Mhatre also played in seven games in the IPL, scoring 240 runs for the Super Kings side, averaging 34.28, while striking at 188.97 with a half-century in his debut season.

While Mhatre, during the England Under-19 Test series, smacked 340 runs in just four innings at an average of 85, while strike rate, even in that red-ball format, was 103.98, with two centuries and a half-century score in the white jersey.