Vaibhav Suryavanshi plays like a 15-year-old, dismissed for ‘golden duck’ in IPL

Vaibhav Suryavanshi needed that. A setback as hurtful as a first-ball duck was perhaps essential to keep the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals superstar grounded.

Young Vidarbha pacer Praful Hinge, on his IPL debut, set up a teasing delivery on middle and leg, forcing the left-hander to have a go. But the ball did not clear the fence as usual and nestled in the hands of keeper Salil Arora.

The boy from Bihar was visibly upset by his early dismissal. It was understandable, given the high standards he has set for himself in his fledgling yet remarkable IPL career.

In IPL 2025, when he made his debut as a 14-year-old, Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion against the Gujarat Titans and was also dismissed for a duck off two balls by the Mumbai Indians' pacer Deepak Chahar.

If anyone thought that season was a fluke, Suryavanshi proved them wrong instantly, by scoring two 15-ball fifties and three quickfire thirties to don the orange cap after four innings.

Just when it seemed like the boy was infallible, he mistimed a shot to be dismissed cheaply. But who hasn't done that in their career? Even the greats, such as Lara and Tendulkar, have thrown away their wickets; it's just a setback for a boy with unlimited potential.

The Sunrisers ended the Royals' unbeaten start to the season with a 57-run win. Captain Ishan Kishan scored 91 to power SRH to 216/6, and in response, RR were bowled out for 159. Hinge bagged 4/34, while Sakib Hussain claimed 4/24. The Royals' next visit is to the Eden Gardens on April 19 to take on the Kolkata Knight Riders. Let's see how Suryavanshi bounces back.