Cricket Prodigy to National Honour: 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi honoured with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar – Watch

NEW DELHI: India’s newest batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added another landmark to his meteoric rise on Friday when he was conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by President Droupadi Murmu, recognising his extraordinary achievements in age-group and senior cricket over the past year.

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At just 14, the left-handed batter has become a household name, drawing inevitable comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar for the scale and speed of his ascent. Sooryavanshi first grabbed national attention last year by becoming the youngest-ever player to earn an Indian Premier League contract, with Rajasthan Royals securing him for Rs 1.1 crore.




Before his IPL debut, Sooryavanshi had already announced himself with a 58-ball century for India against Australia Under-19s and a consistent showing in the 2024 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, where he scored 176 runs at an average of 44. His IPL entry only amplified the buzz. Thrust into action in the absence of injured captain Sanju Samson, he smashed his very first ball in the league for a six and finished his debut season with 252 runs in seven innings at a strike rate above 200. His record-breaking century against Gujarat Titans made him the youngest centurion in T20 cricket and the fastest Indian to an IPL hundred, reaching the mark in just 35 balls.

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The milestones kept coming. On the India Under-19 tour of England, Sooryavanshi blasted the fastest century in youth ODI history and topped the run charts. He followed it up with explosive knocks in the Rising Stars Asia Cup, including a 32-ball hundred, and continued his record spree in domestic cricket. Last month, he became the youngest player to score a century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and earlier this week, the youngest to hit a men’s List A hundred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he also shattered AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest 150 in the format.


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