The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a unique tournament where young talents and seasoned cricketers share the same field, playing together for the same franchise. Each team carefully balances its squad with a mix of emerging youngsters and experienced veterans to maintain strength across batting, bowling, and fielding departments. The presence of experienced players also plays a crucial role in mentoring young cricketers, helping them leave a mark with their performances.
Every IPL season introduces fresh faces, with several debutants stepping onto the big stage for the first time. At times, some players are so young during their debut that they set new records in the league’s history. In this piece, we’ll take a look at the five youngest cricketers ever to debut in the IPL.
5. Pradeep Sangwan – 17 years, 179 days
Pradeep Sangwan holds the fifth position on this list. The left-arm pacer made his IPL debut during the inaugural 2008 season, playing for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In the 20th match of the season, Sangwan bowled four overs without claiming a wicket and finished with an economy rate of 10.0, proving to be slightly expensive on his debut.
4. Riyan Parag – 17 years, 152 days
Riyan Parag claims the fourth spot. The all-rounder made his first IPL appearance for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2019 season in a fixture against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
He contributed 16 runs with the bat but remained wicketless in his bowling spell. RR eventually lost the contest by four wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
3. Mujeeb Ur Rahman – 17 years, 11 days
Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman takes third place among the youngest IPL debutants. The off-spinner made his debut in the 2018 season for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
Mujeeb made an impressive start, picking up 2 wickets for 28 runs in his four-over spell at an economy of 7.0. His side secured a six-wicket victory in that match.
4. Prayas Ray Barman – 16 years, 157 days
Prayas Ray Barman finds himself at number two. The right-handed batsman debuted for Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Royal Challengers Bengaluru) during the 2019 IPL in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
In a tough outing for RCB, who suffered a heavy 118-run defeat, Prayas scored 19 runs. Interestingly, this remains his only appearance in the league so far.
5. Vaibhav Suryavanshi – 14 years, 23 days
Vaibhav Suryavanshi tops the chart as the youngest-ever debutant in IPL history. The 14-year-old made his historic debut in IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), etching his name into the tournament’s record books.
Opening the innings, the left-handed batter announced himself in style by smashing a six off his very first delivery and went on to score a brisk 34. Despite a promising start, RR narrowly lost the match by two runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
