IPL 2025: Fans stumped as 'fake' Vaibhav Suryavanshi responds to Sachin Tendulkar's praise

In a dazzling display at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, 14-year-old cricket sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi captured headlines as he led the Rajasthan Royals to a commanding victory over the Gujarat Titans during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. 

Suryavanshi enthralled the audience with a breathtaking innings, achieving the feat of becoming the fastest Indian to score a century in the IPL, reaching his hundred in a mere 35 balls.

With the team ambitiously chasing a formidable target of 210, the Royals comfortably reached their goal, finishing the match in just 15.5 overs. This achievement firmly rooted Suryavanshi's name in the annals of T20 cricket history, crowning him as the youngest player to score a century in this format at the youthful age of 14 years and 32 days.

Social Media Impersonation

The newfound fame, however, brought with it the challenges of digital identity protection, as a fraudulent account surfaced on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) under the handle @VaibhavOfficia. This counterfeit profile used the youngster's image clad in the Rajasthan Royals jersey for its profile picture.

This false account gained momentum after it responded to a congratulatory tweet from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who praised Suryavanshi's fearless style on X: "Vaibhav's fearless approach, bat speed, early length picking, and energy transfer behind each ball made for a spectacular innings. End result: 101 runs off 38 balls. Well played!!"

The imposter replied, "Thank you so much Sir. It's been a dream to earn a compliment from someone I've admired. Grateful beyond words," causing confusion among his growing fanbase. 

Thank you so much Sir. It’s been a dream to earn a compliment from someone I’ve admired. Grateful beyond words 🙏 https://t.co/cAaVK3YAHD

— Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (@Vaibhavsooryava) April 28, 2025

However, the irregularities were soon recognised; notably, the account lacked follow-back from Rajasthan Royals, featured an incorrect handle spelling, and all posts were concentrated on a single date, 28 April, which is typical of deceptive engagement tactics.

X took swift action to alert users of the falsehood.

Digital Literacy & Future Safeguards

This incident underlines the importance of digital literacy and caution when navigating social media platforms. As Vaibhav Suryavanshi's star continues to rise, monitoring online interactions and ensuring secure verification of public profiles will remain crucial for sports organisations and emerging athletes alike.