Promise 2025: As a new year begins, there is bound to be fresh hope for India’s upcoming young athletes. From a pre-teen chess player to an early teen cricketer, we take a look at who can make their mark in the coming years
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is just 13-years-old but the teenager has displayed enough class to show he’s here for the long run. At the start of the year, Vaibhav made his first-class debut at 12 against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy game at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna.
The year 2024 has been life-changing for the India U-19 opener. The last three months in particular have been a rollercoaster ride for the teenager.
In October, Vaibhav Suryavanshi etched his name in the history books as he became the youngest player to score an international century. Vaibhav scored 104 off 62 balls in India Under-19’s Youth Test against Australia in Chennai.
A month later, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player to be signed in IPL history as he ignited a bidding war between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, with the former ultimately securing him for a handsome sum of Rs 1.1 crore.
Amidst these accolades of being the first and the youngest, speculations about Vaibhav’s actual age surfaced, with some claiming he is a couple of years older than what his documents suggest. However, his father Sanjeev Suryavanshi and coach Manish Ojha dismissed these allegations.
If one controversy wasn’t enough, Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s father sought to have his son switch states in search of better facilities and exposure. Top clubs in the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) first-division league had expressed interest in signing the hard-hitting left-handed teenager, and the youngster’s father and coach were considering this option.
“Bihar is not ideal for aspiring cricketers. No one cares. The BCCI has stopped caring about it as well. It’s becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day,” Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s coach Manoj Ojha had told this newspaper.
“As a coach, I want him to leave Bihar immediately to play for another state. I want top Ranji teams to offer him a chance, and he must accept it. He should play for a state where he can be nurtured and where he would be well-supported.”
Amidst all this turmoil, Vaibhav has found a mentor in India great VVS Laxman. The former India batter, currently serving as head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), has personally monitored his growth for the past two years.
The Indian Express understands that it was Laxman who recommended Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s name to Rajasthan Royals’ head coach Rahul Dravid.
Over the years, the Royals have nurtured young talent. Be it Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, or Riyan Parag, they are all products of the Rajasthan Royals franchise. “There is no better franchise for a young player than Rajasthan Royals,” Sanjeev stated after the IPL auction.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, undoubtedly, is one for the future. At 13, he has achieved everything that children his age only dream of. He will have to navigate the factional politics within his home association. However, with Laxman and Dravid as his mentors, he will undoubtedly be shielded from the chaos that plagues Bihar cricket. Hopefully, the flame ignited by Vaibhav will burn brighter in the coming years.
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