Rajasthan Royals batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi made headlines even before his IPL debut after becoming the youngest player to enter and get picked at the mega auction last year. The 14-year-old then proved his mettle by scoring the second-fastest IPL century and also earned the best strike rate award last season. However, prior to his heroics, the youngster had to overcome controversy when reports cropped up regarding a possible age-fudging just after the auction.
An old interview of Vaibhav went viral where he stated his age as a little older but nutritionist Suraj Thakuria, who has worked with numerous top Indian cricketers, has now cleared any air of ambiguity and revealed the true age of Suryavanshi.
Speaking exclusively to Cricxtasy.com, Thakuria revealed, “Yes he is 14. Wo bahut bhola hai aap usse baat karoge na. (Once you talk to him you will realise he is very innocent).
He also narrated an incident where he spoke to Vaibhav about the interview and what the RR opener responded.
He added, “Bhaiya sab 16 bolta hai mai 16 ka mahi hu, mera age 14 hai. Wo toh mai galti se kisi interview mein bol dia tha aisa (Brother, everyone says that I am 16 but my age is 14. The interview, where I said my age as older, was a mistake.”
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Opening up about his methods with the youngster, Suraj Thakuria revealed that the approach he took with Suryavanshi was very different than he had done with other athletes because he is very young.
Thakuria added, ‘Unke saath humara strategy different rehta jo aaj tak kisi ke sath nahi tha. Bhaiya ek gulab jamun kha lu kya? (Laughs) (My strategy with his was very different, something which I have not done with anyone else. He will ask can I have one gulab jamun?). [Check from 40mins]
The nutritionist then narrated a funny incident where he asked a specific chef to keep a tab on Suryavanshi’s eating habits. Interestingly, the RR star was spotted taking two ‘gulab jamuns’ but when Thakuria encountered him, Suryavanshi revealed that it was for a senior player.
After being signed for INR 1.1 crores, Vaibhav Suryavanshi ended up being a revelation, culminating his maiden season with 252 runs in seven matches at a blistering strike rate of over 200.
Given his promising display, RR will definitely look to retain him. Also with Sanju Samson more or less confirmed to depart ahead of IPL 2026, Suryavanshi will become an even bigger crucial cog in the Rajasthan setup in the coming future.
