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Vaibhav Suryavanshi was sold to Rajasthan Royals (RR) for 11 million rupees ($130,500; £103,789)
A 13-year-old has become the youngest player to land a contract in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's richest cricket tournament.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi from the eastern state of Bihar was bought by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for 11 million rupees ($130,500; £103,789) in the recently concluded auction in Saudi Arabia.
The left-handed batter has represented his state in domestic championships, such as the Ranji and Mushtaq Ali Trophies, and India in under-19 internationals.
Delhi Capitals and RR made an offer for him starting from Rs 3 million, but RR, where he had previously trained, managed to seal the deal.
Indian cricket was traditionally dominated by urban centers such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, but IPL has managed to attract a larger number of cricketers from remote villages and small towns across India.
Suryavanshi, who is in Dubai to play India's Under-19 Asia Cup, made his Ranji debut at the age of 12 in January for Bihar against Mumbai.
In his five Ranji matches, he scored a maximum of 41. But the highlight of his career was his 58-ball century as an opener in an unofficial Under-19 Test against the Australia a few weeks ago – which also made him the youngest. mark a century in youth cricket.
He also made an unbeaten 332 in an under-19 tournament in Bihar.
RR saw the youngster's raw potential as he impressed their coaching staff during a training session.
“He is an incredible talent and, of course, you have to have the confidence for him to reach the IPL level,” team CEO Jake Lush McCrum told ESPN Cricinfo after the auction ended .
He said developing Suryavanshi would take some work, but “he's a hell of a talent and we're really excited to have him in the franchise.”
Vaibhav Suryavanshi/Instagram
Vaibhav Suryavanshi made his Ranji debut for Bihar at the age of 12 earlier this year against heavyweights Mumbai.
Although Indian laws prohibit child labor below 14, experts say no such guidelines exist for the sport, where players under 14 regularly participate in national and international events .
But to play an international match organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Suryavanshi may have to wait until he turns 15 as that is the minimum age limit set by cricket's governing body.
The news of Suryavanshi's auction and the magnitude of his contract brought much joy to his family who had to sell their land to fund his cricketing dreams.
His father, Sanjiv Suryavanshi, told news agency PTI that “he is not just my son now, but the son of Bihar.”
Mr. Suryavanshi, a farmer from Bihar who had migrated to Mumbai for work, worked as a bouncer at a nightclub and in public toilets, he told the Indian Express newspaper.
His biggest concern now is making sure his son stays grounded. “I will talk to him and make sure this IPL auction doesn’t go to his head. He still has a long way to go,” he said.
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