By Shaurya Dutt

Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 21 (ANI): Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Rewa Jaguars left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya lauded the young teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi following the latter's impressive performance at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and said that he will play for the Indian team in the coming time.

Suryavanshi, who turned out for the RR in the 2025 season, has been one of the breakthrough stars of the tournament. In just seven matches, the teenager accumulated 252 runs, but it was his explosive century against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur that truly sent shockwaves through the cricketing world.

Batting with a maturity well beyond his years, Suryavanshi hammered 101 off just 38 deliveries, becoming the youngest ever centurion in men's T20 cricket. His hundred, which came off just 35 balls, now stands as the second-fastest century in IPL history, a staggering feat for a player just 14 years old.

Speaking about his teammate, Kumar Kartikeya told ANI, 'Vaibhav Suryavanshi is a young talent and in future he will serve for India. He is performing really well at the moment, and I hope that he will continue his form.'

Former Indian skipper and head coach Rahul Dravid began his coaching career with the Royals back in 2014 when he transitioned from serving as the captain to being the team's mentor. Last year in September, ahead of the 18th edition of the cash-rich league, Dravid rejoined the Rajasthan Royals team as the head coach.

Speaking on the learnings from Dravid, Kumar Kartikeya said, 'I learnt a lot from Rahul (Dravid) sir. He is a gentleman player. I learnt a lot from him. I learnt how to be punctual in my time.'

In the end, the uncapped Indian cricketer shared his IPL 2025 experience with the Sanju Samson-led side, where he said, 'It was really good. The first time I was with Rajasthan Royals, I got a lot of support from the staff. I also had my first meeting with Rahul (Dravid) sir. I got to play under him. I got to play with new players like Vaibhav Suryanshi. It was a good experience for us.'

Rajasthan Royals had a season to forget as the franchise was able to win only four games (eight points) in the 14 matches they played in the 2025 season. (ANI)