Who is Vaibhav Suryavanshi? 13-year-old batting prodigy becomes youngest player in IPL Auction list; no Jofra Archer

Among the names, Suryavanshi stands out as a remarkable inclusion. The left-handed batter, who occupies the 491st spot on the list, is part of the uncapped batter category (UBA9) and was named in the 68th set of players. His meteoric rise has captured attention ever since he made his First-Class debut for Bihar in January 2024.

Suryavanshi further solidified his reputation as a prodigy during the India U19 vs. Australia U19 Youth Test series held in September and October. In the first match, he displayed his immense potential by scoring a stellar century, a performance that turned heads and highlighted his readiness for the bigger stage.

Although his overall First-Class numbers remain modest — five matches, 100 runs across 10 innings, with a highest score of 41 — his temperament and skill have already set him apart. Despite his tender age, Suryavanshi’s inclusion in the IPL auction signals that franchises are looking beyond statistics to identify raw, untapped talent.

Suryavanshi is also part of India’s squad for the U19 Asia Cup, slated to begin later this month. India will begin their campaign in the tournament in a high-profile encounter against Pakistan on November 30.

Notable misses

Jofra Archer, the star pacer who has represented Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians in the IPL before, wasn’t included in the list of IPL auction players. While the exact reason for his omission isn’t known, it is likely because no franchises showed interest in the player.

India’s star senior batter, Cheteshwar Pujara, was also not a part of the player auction list.