Is 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi eligible to play after bagging massive contract at IPL 2025 Auction? Explained

One of the biggest developments from the two-day IPL 2025 Mega Auction was the sale of 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi to Rajasthan Royals (RR) at a whopping INR 1.10 crore. It was an intense face off between RR and the Delhi Capitals, which the former won succeeded in winning.

Suryavanshi, whose base price was INR 30 lakh, was the youngest player to have been shortlisted at any IPL auction. However, with his acquisition, came several questions regarding his eligibility to play a part in the subsequent season. A minimum age policy was implemented by the International Cricket Council in 2020. According to those protocols, players needed to be at least 15 years old to represent their nation at the global level. One guideline, however, also stated that in exceptional cases, cricket boards could request for special permission from the ICC to permit players under the age of 15 to be allowed to compete.

What does the ICC age guideline say in regard of Vaibhav Suryavanshi?

"The Board confirmed the introduction of minimum age restrictions for international cricket to improve the safeguarding of players, which will apply across all cricket, including ICC events, bilateral cricket and U-19 cricket. To play in any form of men's, women's or U-19 international cricket, players must now be a minimum age of 15. In case of exceptional circumstances, a Member Board could apply to the ICC to allow a player under the age of 15 to play for them. This could include where the player's playing experience and mental development and well-being demonstrates that they would be capable of coping with the demands of international cricket," the ICC release reads.

So can Vaibhav Suryavanshi play IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals?

The IPL rules, however, do not possess any minimum age requirement. This, in turn, leaves the call on player readiness to the respective franchises. Interestingly, Prayas Ray Barman remains the youngest player to feature in the IPL. At 16 years and 157 days, he was given an opportunity by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru way back in 2019. Working along the likes of Rahul Dravid and Kumar Sangakkara in RR's setup, Suryavanshi might just get his chance to shine at one of the biggest franchise competitions across the globe.