'In Pakistan people would have said, 'throw him out'': Basit Ali praises 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Vaibhav Suryavanshi , at 14 years and 23 days old, became the youngest IPL debutant when Rajasthan Royals introduced him as an impact player during their chase against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur last Saturday.

Despite his impressive 34 runs off 20 balls, including a first-ball six off Shardul Thakur, the Royals faced a narrow two-run defeat.

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The young talent was acquired by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore during last year's mega auction in Saudi Arabia. He had previously performed well for the Indian U-19 team, scoring 176 runs at an average of 44 in the U-19 Asia Cup last year.

Suryavanshi broke the previous record held by Prayas Ray Barman, who debuted at 16 years and 157 days for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022.

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Former Pakistani player Basit Ali praised Suryavanshi's bold approach: "The 14-year-old kid, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The way he smashed that first ball for six, it's a huge deal. Imagine what would have happened had he gotten out trying to hit the first ball for six? What would people have said? In Pakistan, people would have said, throw him out. But this is how confidence is given, which later pays off."

Ali also commended the IPL's talent pool this season: "The class of IPL – when I call it No. 1, my Pakistan brothers feel bad. But all they do is waste their hands and time. Look at the immense pool of talent, this season alone. Nehal Wadhera, Priyansh Arya, Abdul Samad, Ashwani Kumar. I want to see Mayank Yadav in particular. I am eagerly waiting for him to be match fit. I really want to see his bowling."