Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The Young Cricket Prodigy Honored by President Murmu
Celebrating a Young Cricket Star
On December 26, Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu, had a meeting with the promising Indian cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi. This encounter took place after Suryavanshi received the prestigious 'Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar' from President Droupadi Murmu, recognizing his outstanding batting skills in age-group cricket and his contributions to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Bittu shared images from their meeting on X, expressing his admiration for the 14-year-old left-handed batsman. He stated, “I met Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the young IPL sensation from Samastipur, Bihar, who has gained attention for his remarkable century. Today in Delhi, he was honored with the National Bal Puraskar by Hon'ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu—an inspiring moment for young talent across the nation.”
At just 14 years and 272 days, Suryavanshi made history by becoming the youngest player to score a century in men's List A cricket during the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025-26 Plate League match against Arunachal Pradesh. This remarkable achievement was his first non-T20I century in senior cricket, accomplished in a mere 36 balls.
Last year, Suryavanshi made headlines as the youngest player to secure an IPL contract, being acquired by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore. His career has seen rapid growth, with numerous milestones reached in a short span.
During IPL 2025, he scored a century against the Gujarat Titans, becoming the youngest centurion in T20 cricket history. He also set a record for the fastest IPL century by an Indian, reaching the milestone in just 35 balls, with an impressive tally of seven fours and 11 sixes.
Following the IPL, while touring England with the India U19 team, he achieved the fastest century in U19 ODI history, scoring 143 runs off just 78 balls, including 13 fours and 10 sixes, at a strike rate of 183.33. His century came off just 52 balls.
In a recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Maharashtra, he became the youngest player to score a century in the tournament's history, hitting 108 runs off 61 balls, with seven fours and seven sixes, at a strike rate exceeding 177.