"I'll be careful not to say I'm worried about a 14-year-old" - MI star’s cheeky take on bowling to Vaibhav Suryavanshi ahead of IPL 2025 match vs RR

Mumbai Indians' new-ball bowler Trent Boult passed a cheeky comment on bowling to the exciting talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi ahead of facing the Rajasthan Royals on Thursday in Jaipur. Although Boult said it's exciting, the New Zealand cricketer said the prospect of bowling to the youngster doesn't worry him.

The Royals' opener has announced himself in exhilarating fashion this season. He struck a 35-ball hundred against the Gujarat Titans in Jaipur as they chased down a target of 210 with 25 balls to spare. Suryavanshi, 14, became the youngest cricketer in IPL history to score a half-century and a century.

At a pre-game presser, Boult said he expects an exciting challenge from someone who is in red-hot form. He was was in awe of Suryavanshi's innings against the Gujarat Titans. He said, as quoted by PTI:

"(I have) bowled to some brilliant batsmen around the world, the Chris Gayles, the AB de Villiers, all the quality that come in these tournaments. I think I'll be careful not to say I'm worried about a 14-year-old. But it's going to be an exciting challenge to come up against a guy who's obviously fearless and running in hot form at the moment, so that's what it's about. The whole world saw that performance the other night. (It was a) quality (knock) from such a young kid."

"It's the beauty of this tournament, of all the players coming out and taking any opportunity with both hands and I thought he did that very nicely."

The Kiwi seamer notably played for three seasons for the Royals, picking up 45 wickets in 42 matches at 27.71. Although Boult was inconsistent at the start of IPL 2025, he has progressed well now, taking 13 scalps in 10 matches at 23.69.

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"It is going to be challenging for him" - Rahul Dravid on Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Rahul Dravid. (Image Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, Royals coach Rahul Dravid acknowledged that Suryavanshi must stay level-headed as the attention is going to constantly be on him due to the exploits in the previous game. Dravid said:

"I think it won't be possible to completely sort of avoid him from the experience that is around him. I can't control what people are talking about him. I have come to this interaction and all I have heard is questions about Vaibhav. It is going to be challenging for him but it is exciting at the same time. I would love to say that we should not shower him with that much attention. Maybe I am being naive as that it is not going to happen."

Despite winning the previous match convincingly, Mumbai Indians will be a tough side to beat for the Royals as the former are on a five-game winning streak.