IPL heroics of dazzling youngsters are the toast of the nation

The IPL is the biggest festival in India, nay across the cricketing world. The 2026 edition that started with a big bang on March 28 is inching towards its climatic stages. As has been happening since the time the event commenced, people from across age-groups, including diehard fans, have kept themselves glued to the screens so that they don’t miss the pulsating action, which has been the hallmark of the IPL.

Incidentally, the number of food delivery boys on the streets is directly proportional to the viewership. The growth of excitement and joy has been exponential over the years. The fans share various funny memes and anecdotes on social media.

I have been noticing the excitement and enthusiasm of the young cricketers in my gated community, ‘The Dev Prayag’ and the next-door community ‘The Rudra Prayag’.

With the completion of most annual exams, almost all surrounding societies have sprung to life with over 100 enthusiastic boys and girls in the age-group of 10 to 16 years chattering animatedly. The budding cricketers named their tournament as “Prayag Premier League” (PPL). It was decided that all matches would be played every day from 9 am to 12 pm to avoid severe heat, and watch the IPL matches in the evening on the big screen, ‘The Fan Park’, that has been arranged by the society. On one of my evening walks, the young bunch, led by Tamanna, wanted to be the umpire or match referee for ‘their’ league matches. I suggested rotation-based umpires so that other retired seniors could become a part of the league.

The kids knew that I am a die-hard fan of cricket. So, they wanted to know more about the young players out there in the middle of action. I stated that the IPL 2026 youngsters were doing something special for the league and kids watching them. “Fearless”, is the new normal for these youngsters.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (15) and Ayush Mhatre (18) are not “waiting for their turn”. They walk in and take world-class bowlers from ball one. The topic revolved around the 15-ball fifty by Suryavanshi against CSK. Rohin (15) jumped in and said M S Dhoni’s presence is being missed by the game’s entire fraternity. He said Captain Cool’s calm nature, leadership acumen and finishing skills are being missed by every fan. Rajat chipped in and said Dhoni’s absence is felt in CSK composition as he is irreplaceable. Tamanna pointed out that she missed Dhoni’s helicopter shot and death over heroics. She, meanwhile, expressed her admiration for LSG’s Mukul Choudhary’s helicopter shot. Not to be left behind four-year- old Mishika, Tamanna’s younger sister, jumped into the middle rotating her bat, sweeping it over many heads, while declaring that she loves Dhoni. Everybody was amused with her statement and burst into laughter. They all agreed that Mukul Choudhary had proved what happens when talent meets opportunity.

The IPL 2026 is called the “Gen Z Era”. Rookies and teens are taking the spotlight with their dexterity and match temperament indicating that the country’s future is not knocking anymore. The spots have been taken up by the talented younger lot, said 12- year-old Vaibhav. Gautam hailed Harsh Dubey of SRH, Kartik Sharma of CSK and Kartik Tyagi of KKR as “fearless prodigies” with their “turbo aggressive” approach. Sneha was gaga over ‘calm and composed’ opener Ayush Mhatre of CSK, who led India to the U19 World Cup title. SRH debutant bowlers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain were named ‘hurricane hinge’ and ‘tornedo’, respectively. I was amazed by the double-quick way each of them rattled off names of other young cricketers who impressed them either with their bowling or batting abilities.

Even as we were engrossed in discussing the ongoing IPL, we saw 40-year-old banker and veteran cricketer Hritik. The kids heard him with enthusiasm. He explained that the current crop of youngsters grew up only watching T20 competitions. It’s not just talent, it’s temperament. They handle pressure like seasoned campaigners. That is what scouts call “match maturity” arriving early. The entire group was in awe of the pearls of wisdom of their ‘uncle’. He continued, “A 15-year-old player with an IPL century now exhorts whiz-kids that they don’t have to wait till they turn 25 to don India colours.”

Our young listeners aspire to be like these T20 babies. They admire their swag, the X factor in them and the character. These kids will try to emulate Mhatre’s calmness, Suryavanshi’s intent, Kartik’s glove work and Prince’s yorkers.

The kids around the banker cheered and applauded loudly. They looked at him in admiration. The veteran continued.

“They are proof that talent and opportunity beats age. These young cricketers are redefining expectations and inspiring a new generation to take up cricket. The world is their stage, and all these T-20 babies are the Durandhar of Indian cricket’s future. Camaraderie and brotherhood between rival teams off the field was noticed by everyone in the group. Despite fierce competitors on the field the players were able to share friendly chats and moments of laughter off the field as demonstrated by Rohit Sharma of Mumbai Indians and Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The children admired Hardik Pandya’s sportsmanship by praising Vaibhav Suryavamshi’s batting despite MI losing to Rajasthan Royals. Kohli after losing to RR not only acknowledged Suryavanshi’s brilliance but also autographed the young player’s cap with a heartfelt message: “Dear Vaibhav, Well-done”.

I realized that these young kids had learnt a valuable lesson in sportsmanship-accepting defeat with humility and grace. It is just not about winning or losing, it is about respecting your opponent’s skills and showing class, even in tough moments. This attitude in general helps youngsters build character and earns them respect, win or lose. It also teaches youngsters resilience, the ability to bounce back from setbacks by learning from failures and keep pushing forward.

Face challenges, adapt and come out stronger is the mantra for the future torchbearers of Indian cricket.