‘No Mutton, No Pizza’: Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Coach Reveals 14-year-Old’s Diet Sacrifices

Rajasthan Royals introduced a new sensation in 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi during their IPL 2025 clash against Lucknow Super Giants on April 19 (Saturday). While the team fell short in the RR vs LSG match, the young debutant made headlines with a brisk 34 off 20 balls. Vaibhav made an immediate impact, launching his IPL career in style by hitting a six off the very first ball he faced from Shardul Thakur. Becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the tournament at just 14 years and 23 days old, Suryavanshi opened the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal and stitched a 85-run opening stand.

Bought for ₹1.1 crore in the IPL 2024 mega auction, Vaibhav Suryavanshi pleased cricket experts and fans alike during his first ever IPL outing. With all attention turned towards the prodigy, his coach, Manish Ojha, revealed that the 14-year-old gave up his favorite foods, including pizza and mutton, in pursuit of his cricketing dreams. Ojha said that Suryavanshi no longer eats them as part of his commitment to the sport.

ALSO ON ABP Live | 14-Year-Old Vaibhav Suryavanshi Announces Arrival With First-Ball Six In IPL — WATCH

"Mutton nahi khana hai usko, instructions hain. Pizza hata diya hai uske diet chart mein se [Mutton is not allowed for him as per the instructions. Pizza has been removed from his diet chart]. He is just fond of chicken and mutton. He is a kid, so he used to love pizza a lot. But he doesn't eat it anymore. When we used to give him mutton, no matter how much we gave, he would finish all of it. That's why he looks a bit chubby," his coach Manish Ojha told Times of India.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi's coach praised him as a fearless batter, predicting big scores in upcoming matches. He compared Vaibhav's style to a mix of Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh, highlighting his Lara-like admiration and Yuvraj-like aggression.

"He will go a long way. We've seen the way he started the innings, and I can promise you - he will score big in the coming matches. He's a fearless batter. He has said time and again that he admires Brian Lara. But he's a mix of Yuvraj Singh and Brian Lara. His aggression is just like Yuvraj's," he added.

Ojha also shared that the young batter was thrilled but nervous after being informed by Rahul Dravid and team management about his IPL debut. The coach advised him to stay calm, to which Vaibhav confidently replied he wouldn’t hold back if a ball was there to be hit for six.

"He was very happy. He called me after his practice session yesterday and said (Rahul) Dravid sir and the management called him and told him that he will be playing against Lucknow Super Giants. He was elated. But was tensed. I said just be calm and play the way you have been. He said chakke waala ball ayega to marunga, rukunga nahi [if the ball asks to be hit for a six, won't hesitate]," the coach said.

"He's a kid. He's emotional. He always talks about Rahul Dravid sir and his support. He looks up to him like a God. Dravid sir is always there to support him," the coach said. "He always says, 'Jab chakka maarne ka ball aayega, to chakka hi maarunga. Single leke kya karunga?' (When there's a ball to hit for six, I'll hit a six. What will I do with a single?). Let me tell you one incident. During practice sessions, I usually give a batter a hypothetical situation and assign a couple of bowlers to challenge him - for example, you need 40 runs in 4 overs, or 60 in 6 overs. This guy often steps in and ends up achieving the target with balls to spare," the coach shared.

ipl