Cricket's Teen Revolution

Not Old Enough To Vote, But Bold Enough To Reshape Future Of Cricket

Yashavi Jaiswal is 23 years old, as is B Sai Sudarshan. Prabhsimran Singh is 24, and Shubman Gill is 25. All four are in the list of top ten run-getters in the ongoing 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and, by any yardstick, you would mark this quartet out as the future of India's batting.

Except, something extraordinary is happening this year: the league is being stormed by teenagers, by players not yet old enough to vote, yet bold enough to rewrite record books and rattle seasoned international stars. The IPL is witnessing a youth revolution that is not only providing thrills for the fans but potentially reshaping the future of cricket. 

Picture this: Jaipur, April 28, 2025. The Sawai Mansingh Stadium is buzzing. The Gujarat Titans bowling unit is warming up. The batter striding to the crease is Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old playing his debut series for the Rajasthan Royals. 

What follows is pure chaos. Suryavanshi unleashes a 17-ball fifty, the fastest in IPL history — and he doesn’t stop there. He bludgeons a 35-ball century, becoming the youngest player to achieve the feat, and notching the second-fastest ton in the league’s history. Cricketing royalty, from Sachin Tendulkar on down, run out of superlatives to describe his power-hitting and his audacity.

If Suryavanshi’s performance were a one-off, it would still be remarkable. At 14, you are likely playing for your school team, honing your skills, shedding your puppy fat and building the musculature you need to step up to the next level. Whatever else, you are not — except in your dreams — striding out to open the innings, to the roar of a packed stadium, against a bowling unit with over 1000 international wickets between them. That Suryavanshi did just that isn't, as I mentioned, a one-off — it is a marker of the IPL’s new reality. Young players are no longer content to warm the bench or play supporting roles. They’re grabbing the spotlight, backed by fearless mindsets and by skills honed in the age of T20 cricket. 

A Perfect Storm

The rise of young stars in IPL 2025 is no accident, but rather the result of a perfect storm of factors. First, the T20 format itself is tailor-made for youth. Its fast-paced, high-risk nature rewards aggression over caution, levelling the playing field for players with raw talent. Unlike Test cricket, where experience often trumps potential, T20 thrives on instinct and flair — qualities teenagers like Suryavanshi have in spades. The IPL’s three-hour matches demand explosive batting and versatile bowling, areas where young players, unburdened by conventional thinking, excel. A data point comes apropos: India, as I write this, stands first in the ICC T20 and ODI rankings -- but is just fourth in the Test rankings.

Second, India’s cricketing ecosystem has evolved dramatically. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has for some years now invested heavily in grassroots programmes, with a sharp focus on preparing teams for the Under-19 World Cup. It is no coincidence that the likes of Jaiswal, Gill, Sudarshan and Prabhsimran all made their bones at successive U-19 World Cups before stepping onto the senior stage.

While the BCCI has focused on creating an assembly line of U-19, IPL franchises armed with AI-driven analytics and an increased awareness of biomechanics are spotting and nurturing prodigies earlier than ever. Suryavanshi, for instance, was scouted at age 12 through a Rajasthan Royals talent programme, the speed of his bat swing and the power and range of his ball-striking analysed by data models before he’d even played a senior match.

Third, coaches are shedding old dogmas to teach a new gospel: range hitting over wicket preservation. Gone are the days of batting anchors grinding out innings. Mentors like Rahul Dravid, who has coached U-19 teams (Gill is an alum) and is now Suryavanshi's coach at Rajasthan Royals; VVS Laxman who, as head of the National Cricket Academy oversees the development of young talent for the U-19 program; and Ravi Shastri who works with the Mumbai Ranji team, are training teens to dominate 360 degrees of the playing field. 

Shastri’s proteges, like the 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, practice hitting sixes over extra cover, a far cry from traditional shot selection. At the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 3 Mhatre, wearing the CSK yellow, stunned a partisan home crowd into silence with a knock of 94 off 48 balls, including a sequence of 4, 4, 4, 6,4, 4 in a 26-run over off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a veteran international player more than twice his age. 

Mhatre had five sixes in his barnstorming knock; one more, and he would have become the second youngest IPL centurion behind Suryavanshi. And it is no coincidence that Mhatre and Suryavanshi were India's opening partners, and standout performers, at the ACC U-19 Asia Cup's 2024 edition.

Changing Game

T20 has evolved rapidly in the last couple of years — where, not so long ago, scores in excess of 200 were outliers, such totals are now considered par. Scoring in excess of 200 requires audacity, not caution — and the likes of Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who coached the 2024 U-19 team, and Amol Muzumdar, responsible for shaping talents like Musheer Khan, have been instrumental in creating a mindset where teen prodigies are confident enough to take on any bowler, irrespective of reputation, on any stage.

The digital age has supercharged exposure. Social media platforms amplify standout performances, turning local heroes into viral sensations overnight. When Suryavanshi smashed a 28-run over against Ishant Sharma, clips flooded X, racking up millions of views. This visibility not only boosts players’ confidence but also pressures franchises to fast-track young talent, knowing that fans crave the next big thing.

And finally, the IPL’s meritocratic structure plays a role. With franchises backed by billionaire owners and global coaches, the league is a high-stakes arena where performance trumps pedigree. Teenagers like Suryavanshi and Mhatre are now proving, to the relief of the franchises who have bet on their talent, that age is irrelevant when it comes to delivering under pressure.

If it were just a Suryavanshi or a Mhatre, you could argue that they are outliers. But there is Musheer Khan, a veritable greybeard at 20 who bats right-handed and bowls slow left-arm orthodox in Punjab Kings colours. Noor Ahmad, also 20, has been baffling reputed international stars with his googlies and who is currently tied with Arshdeep Singh in fourth place on the list of top wicket-takers in the ongoing IPL.  

These players share a common trait: fearlessness. They are the IPL generation, born just before, or after, the league began; for them, IPL and by extension the T20 format is the form of cricket they have been weaned on -- they have grown up watching highlights, practising reverse scoops and switch-hits rather than the forward defence.

The numbers tell the story. In IPL 2025, players under 20 have thus far contributed over 15% of total runs scored, up from just 8% in 2023. This isn’t just a statistical blip—it is the marker of a generational shift, with implications for the league and for Indian cricket itself.

The Flip Side

The emergence of young talent is a boon for the IPL, which thrives on spectacle and innovation. Teen prodigies bring fresh energy, drawing younger audiences and boosting viewership. The league’s global appeal, already massive with $6 billion in annual revenue, grows stronger as fans in the US, Australia, and beyond tune in for a first glimpse of the next big star. Brands are taking notice, too. Suryavanshi’s century landed him endorsement deals with local sports brands, while Mhatre’s Mumbai Indians jersey is a top seller among Gen Z fans.

But there’s a flip side. The pressure on young players is immense. The IPL’s high-octane environment, with its packed stadiums and relentless media scrutiny, can overwhelm even seasoned veterans. Suryavanshi's twin failures after his record-breaking century have already sparked critical comments about his consistency, and that kind of pressure can be hard on kids in their teens. This raises the issue of mental health, and franchises are responding, with teams like Rajasthan Royals hiring psychologists to guide young players through the spotlight.

There’s also the risk of burnout. The IPL’s gruelling schedule, combined with domestic and international commitments, can strain young bodies. AI-driven injury prevention programs, like those trialled in IPL 2025, aim to monitor workloads, but the long-term impact on teen stars like Suryavanshi remains a concern.

The IPL’s youth revolution isn’t just a cricket story — it’s a blueprint for sports worldwide. Leagues like the NBA and EPL, which have seen young stars like Victor Wembanyama and Cole Palmer shine, are watching closely. The IPL shows how to balance tradition with innovation: nurture talent early, leverage technology, and create a platform where boldness is rewarded. As cricket expands globally — think Major League Cricket in the US, the Big Bash League in Australia, or The Hundred in England — the IPL’s model of empowering young players could inspire new leagues to take risks on untested talent.

All indications are that the IPL's teen revolution is just getting started. For fans, the rise of the teens is a reminder of why we love sports: the unpredictability, the raw passion, the moments that make you leap off the couch. Every six he hits isn’t just a shot — it’s a statement that the future is now. For organisers, it’s a call to invest in grassroots programmes and protect young stars from the pitfalls of fame. And for brands, it’s a chance to back the next icon before they become household names.

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