The Indian Premier League (IPL) has gained popularity in middle school classrooms. 

Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals became the youngest player in the league at 14 years and 23 days. He surpassed Prayas Ray Barman, who debuted for Royal Challengers Bangalore at 16 years and 157 days in 2019.

On Monday, the youngster broke records after smashing a 35-ball 100 against Gujarat Titans in the IPL. He became the youngest player (14 years, 32 days) to score a T20 ton and the fastest Indian centurion in the tournament: a record held by Yusuf Pathan (37 balls), also for Rajasthan, against Mumbai Indians since 2010. Suryavanshi smashed 11 sixes and seven fours in his knock of 101 off 38 balls that sealed the deal for his franchise against Gujarat led by India ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill.

Leg-spinner Barman had a contract of Rs 1.5 crore, while left-handed batter Suryavanshi was picked for Rs 1.1 crore, showing that Indian parents are now open to their kids pursuing cricket careers. However, children face challenges in deciding between traditional careers and various formats of cricket.

The IPL provides fame, money, and opportunities for players. However, it also has a dark side. Injuries or a dip in performance can significantly hinder a player's career. For example, Barman, during his debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad, conceded 56 runs in four overs without taking a wicket and has not played since.

Challenges of playing the IPL at a tender age

Barman now plays domestic T20 cricket for Bengal after recovering from a back injury. He aims for a second IPL stint and believes Suryavanshi will face challenges managing his workload as muscles aren't fully developed at a young age. 

"The way he has been playing at this level shows how talented he is. When we are young, the game and our body are yet to develop. The biggest challenge is to manage the workload and avoid injuries. At 14 or 15, there is no great exposure to fitness and strength training. Junior players, who do not have a base in that kind of training, may face difficulties. You need to do the right training at the gym, and on the ground, to stay away from injuries."

"IPL gives you stardom and limelight. The game should be the priority, and one should aim for consistency in the process," he told SportsBoom.com. 

Barman revealed that the IPL raises self-expectations, which can be beneficial and detrimental. 

"The good thing is you will push yourself to meet your expectations in the training sessions and the matches, and the bad could be feeling more pressure than required. One should not be obsessed with achievements," said the 23-year-old, adding that he realised he was not at his best in domestic cricket in recent years, and that's why he couldn't roll back into the league.

His favourite IPL memory is when AB de Villiers calmed his nerves amid a brutal onslaught by Jonny Bairstow in his only match. 

"I understand the mistakes I made in that match now that I am a mature bowler. I lost the plot after the first six. I forgot my process. I was bowling to a guy who was hitting me for sixes. AB came up from deep mid-wicket and told me to calm down, and bowl like I did at the nets," revealed Barman.

A surge in cricket academies to become IPL players

Among the success stories, Riyan Parag, who debuted at 17 years and 152 days in 2019 for Rajasthan, and Sarfaraz Khan, at 17 years and 182 days in 2015 for Bangalore are bright examples. Both earned international caps; Parag in white-ball cricket, and Khan in Tests.

Most cricket academies in India have seen an increase in the number of applicants in the U-15 category after the IPL started handing paycheques to uncapped talent.

Madhav Bakre, the director at Nagpur Cricket Academy in Maharashtra, which produced IPL cricketers such as Jitesh Sharma, Yash Thakur, Darshan Nalkande, and Atharva Taide, confirmed the obsession with T20. 

"In the last three years, we had 40 kids in the U-12 category. Now we have 160. The parents understand that to play for India, one needs to play the IPL. They know that Ranji Trophy is a long journey, whereas the number of players selected for IPL is a lot more."

Bakre revealed how the young spinners are concerned with their economy rate and the batters about their strike rate. 

"Due to the demand, we tell 14-year-olds that strike rate has to be 125 or more. Plus, they keep seeing players like Jitesh, who has played for India [now playing for Bangalore in the IPL], and get inspired to hit sixes," he added.

Besides the hundred, Suryavanshi scored 34 off 20 on debut against Lucknow Super Giants. He fell for 16 in his second outing against Bangalore, but even that knock had two sixes, which shows his fearless nature.

Seventeen-year-old Ayush Mhatre of Chennai Super Kings also impressed with knocks of 32 and 30 in the top-order.

These youngsters do not believe in following the textbook. They frame a cricketing syllabus of their own.