In a battle of generations, the youngest-ever player and the oldest-ever player in IPL history clashed on Tuesday, as 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi faced off against 43-year-old MS Dhoni in the match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Suryavanshi showcased his enormous potential, smashing 57 runs off just 33 balls to steer RR to victory over Dhoni-led CSK. Following the match, Suryavanshi and Dhoni shared a heartwarming moment, as the youngster bowed down to take his blessings from the legendary India captain.
As the players of both sides shook hands after the match, Suryavanshi took the opportunity to touch Dhoni’s feet in a gesture of respect.
Young Vaibhav Suryavanshi top-scored with a delightful 57 as Rajasthan Royals signed off from IPL 2025 with a six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
This what #TATAIPL is all about #CSKvRR | @ChennaiIPL | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/ANKXp27T3P
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 20, 2025
The result also means that CSK will now finish IPL 2025 at the bottom of the points table, unless they beat table-toppers Gujarat Titans by a big margin on Sunday. After pacers Akash Madhwal and Yudhvir Singh Charak picked three-fers each to help RR restrict CSK to 187/8, Suryavanshi delighted everyone with his four boundaries and as many sixes to help RR complete the chase with 17 balls to spare, and bury their ghosts of faltering chases in the season.
Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Suryavanshi were exquisite in their loft and leaning drive off Ahmed and Kamboj respectively, as RR ended power-play at 56/1. While Samson lofted Ravichandran Ashwin for a down the ground six, Suryavanshi thumped Noor Ahmad off backfoot for six, before muscling him for two boundaries, as 17 runs came off eighth over.
There was no stopping Suryavanshi as he thwacked Ravindra Jadeja for two sixes over long-on fence, before reaching his fifty by whacking Noor for six. After Samson slammed Matheesha Pathirana for two boundaries, he was foxed by a carrom ball from Ashwin and holed out to long-on.
Four balls later, Ashwin stuck again as Suryavanshi mistimed his hoick to backward point and fall for 57 off 33 balls. Despite Ahmad’s quicker googly castling Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel swept him for four, apart from pulling and paddling Jadeja for six and four respectively, and heaving Ashwin for a maximum.
Shimron Hetmyer smacked Ashwin for a six and four, before Jurel fittingly hit the winning maximum by smacking Pathirana over mid-wicket, and sign off from IPL 2025 on a high.
With IANS inputs
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