In a moment that lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium with emotion and respect, Rajasthan Royals' teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi touched the feet of MS Dhoni after guiding his team to a memorable six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in their final league game of IPL 2025 on Tuesday.
The post-match gesture, which was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media, showcased the humility and admiration the 14-year-old southpaw from Bihar carries for one of Indian cricket’s most iconic figures.
The touching moment came during the customary handshakes between the two teams. While the conversation between the two was not audible, Dhoni was seen smiling and appearing to share a few encouraging words with the young batter, who had just smashed 57 off 33 balls, including four sixes and four boundaries.
Rajasthan Royals had a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign, finishing with just four wins in 14 games. But the emergence of Suryavanshi provided fans with a beacon of hope.
Drafted into the playing XI only after Sanju Samson was ruled out due to injury, the teenager quickly made headlines by smashing a blistering century against Gujarat Titans—becoming the youngest player ever to score a hundred in IPL history.
Against CSK, Suryavanshi once again displayed his big-match temperament. Chasing 188, he opened the innings with trademark aggression and composure beyond his years.
His 57-run knock laid the platform for RR’s successful chase, which was completed with 17 balls to spare.
Suryavanshi finished IPL 2025 with 252 runs in just 7 matches, boasting an incredible strike rate of 206.56—the highest for any RR batter this season. His tally included one century and one half-century.
He also equalled Rishabh Pant’s record for most sixes in an IPL season before turning 20, with 24 sixes—a feat Pant had achieved in 2017.
Earlier in the evening, CSK looked in trouble at 78/5 inside the ninth over, despite Ayush Mhatre's explosive 20-ball 43. Dewald Brevis (42 off 25) and Shivam Dube (39 off 32) then stitched a valuable 59-run partnership to push the total to 187/8. For RR, Yudhvir Singh picked up 3/47, while Akash Madhwal stood out with his spell of 3/29.
In response, RR got vital contributions from captain Sanju Samson (41), Yashasvi Jaiswal (36), and Dhruv Jurel (31 off 17 balls)* alongside Suryavanshi’s anchoring half-century.
For a 14-year-old making his debut in one of the world’s toughest T20 leagues, Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s journey has just begun—but the early signs are extraordinary.
From becoming the youngest IPL centurion, to matching a record set by Rishabh Pant, to earning a pat on the back from MS Dhoni himself, the young southpaw has already built a mini-legacy in one unforgettable season.
