Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old cricketer from Samastipur, Bihar, touched cricket legend MS Dhoni’s feet after a match instead of just shaking hands, and the moment quickly went viral.
Vaibhav was born two years after Dhoni lifted his first IPL trophy. Though they come from different generations, Vaibhav, like millions of young fans, grew up watching and idolizing Dhoni. For him, Dhoni is like a father figure.
This touching moment happened after the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR) match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. After the match, RR players lined up to shake hands with the CSK team. When it was Vaibhav’s turn, he bent down to touch Dhoni’s feet with one hand while Dhoni, smiling shyly, held the other
𝙈𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝 😊
This is what #TATAIPL is all about 💛🩷#CSKvRR | @ChennaiIPL | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/hI9oHcHav1
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 20, 2025
Vaibhav Suryavanshi touched MS Dhoni feet
Best moment of this IPL
pic.twitter.com/beItX8O5TK— Shah (@Iamshah0000) May 20, 2025
This emotional gesture came after Vaibhav played an impressive innings, scoring 57 runs off 33 balls, helping RR chase down a target of 188 runs with ease. Despite RR having a tough season, Vaibhav’s performance was a big positive and made him stand out as the team’s “find of the season.”
Earlier in the match, Yashasvi Jaiswal gave RR a strong start with a quick 36 runs. Vaibhav then took over and played maturely. Even experienced bowlers like Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t stop him, as he hit two big sixes off Jadeja and reached his half-century with a fourth six against Noor Ahmad.
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Vaibhav and RR captain Sanju Samson built a strong 98-run partnership. Samson scored 41 runs and allowed the young star to take charge. After both were dismissed, it seemed like RR might struggle again. However, Dhruv Jurel (31) and Shimron Hetmyer (12) calmly finished the chase.
Earlier in the match, CSK’s Ayush Mhatre impressed with a quickfire 43 runs from 20 balls, helping CSK post a total of 187/8.
Though this was only RR’s fourth win of the season, it gave them hope of avoiding last place. But more importantly, it was a memorable day for young Vaibhav Suryavanshi—both for his brilliant batting and his touching moment with MS Dhoni.
