IPL 2025: 5 players who turned out to be surprise packages

The 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League was as action-packed as it could get. Several contests were thrilling to witness. From run fests to low-scoring thrillers, IPL 2025 offered a whole lot of entertainment to the cricket community. The buzz surrounding the 18th instalment of the marquee T20 league delivered on all fronts.

Apart from the appeal of established players and high-profile signings, the recently concluded season provided a select few relatively unknown players who stood out with exceptional performances. Be it with bat or ball, these players delivered regularly. Through some impressive outings, these surprise packages came as refreshing names to look forward to shortly.

 Here are the five players who turned out to be surprise packages:

5. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals)

After being acquired for INR 1.1 crore at the mega auction, a lot of eyeballs were already locked in on Vaibhav Suryavanshi. After all, he was the youngest player in the history of the IPL to bag a deal. Yet, there were uncertainties on how much RR would want to expose the youngster. The southpaw remained on the bench for RR's first seven games of the campaign.

He was handed his debut in place of an injured Sanju Samson. The very first delivery Suryavanshi faced was dispatched for an extravagant maximum over the extra-cover fence. Suryavanshi's debut innings was a 20-ball 34-run cameo. Two games later, he became the youngest batter to register a ton in the IPL. The 14-year-old ended up with 252 runs in seven innings at a scorching strike rate of 206.55.