Why is Vaibhav Suryavanshi Not in Rajasthan Royals Playing XI for the RCB vs RR IPL 2025 Match Today?

14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who made headlines with a sensational IPL debut, has not been included in Rajasthan Royals playing XI for their clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru tonight.

However, the young prodigy is among the five listed Impact Substitutes, which means he could still feature in the second innings should Rajasthan Royals be chasing.

Suryavanshi’s exclusion from the starting XI has raised eyebrows, especially after his bold introduction to the league just a few nights ago. In a high-pressure chase against Lucknow Super Giants, the teenager opened the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal and announced himself in stunning fashion by smashing a six off his very first delivery in the IPL — a lofted extra-cover shot off Shardul Thakur.

He followed it up with another six off Avesh Khan and batted with a maturity that belied his age. Suryavanshi scored 34 off 20 balls, 26 of which came in boundaries, and provided RR a flying start with an 85-run opening stand. His fearless intent and ability to take on quality bowling immediately earned comparisons with some of Indian cricket’s youngest sensations.

Why is Vaibhav Suryavanshi not in RR Playing XI vs RCB Today?

Rajasthan Royals’ head coach Kumar Sangakkara had earlier hinted that Suryavanshi could be used strategically as an Impact Player, especially given his age and the pressure of managing workload and expectations. With regular skipper Sanju Samson unavailable last game due to injury, Suryavanshi got his big break. But with RR now fielding a full-strength XI including seasoned campaigners like Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, and Riyan Parag, it appears the management has decided to revert to their core team and use the 14-year-old more tactically.

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That’s where the Impact Player rule plays a crucial role. If Rajasthan end up chasing tonight, Suryavanshi could once again walk out with Jaiswal to provide early impetus in the powerplay. His presence as a potential opener in the second innings keeps fans hopeful of witnessing more of his dazzling strokeplay.

While he may not be in the starting XI, the fact that Suryavanshi remains in the mix as a tactical option speaks volumes about the confidence RR has in his ability—even at just 14.

RCB vs RR Playing XI

• RCB XI: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

• RR XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma

• RCB Impact Players:  Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh

• RR Impact Players: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore

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