Vaibhav Surpasses Even Sachin!

Family poverty cannot be an obstacle to becoming a cricket star—this has been proven by 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi from Samastipur, Bihar. He is still just a boy, not even a youth yet. His father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, sold their fertile farmland to fund Vaibhav’s cricket coaching. Though Vaibhav still carries the baby fat of childhood, he has worked tirelessly to develop powerful shots and maintain his physical fitness.

Since the age of ten, Vaibhav has faced 600 balls daily in the nets. His father would even carry ten extra tiffin boxes for his beloved son. All that effort has paid off — today Vaibhav has become a crorepati (millionaire).

IPL Breakthrough at Just 14

To recall, during the IPL Mega Auction last year, Rajasthan Royals purchased Vaibhav Suryavanshi for ₹1.1 crore. Born on 27 May 2011, Vaibhav was the youngest player listed in the auction. He made his first-class debut for Bihar in January 2024 at the age of 12 years and 284 days.

Last year, he was part of India’s Under-19 team that played against Australia in Chennai. There, Vaibhav made headlines by smashing a century off just 58 balls. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he made his T20 debut for Bihar. Although he got only one chance to play and couldn’t make a significant impact, he later emerged strongly.

In the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup 2024–25, he finished as the seventh highest run-scorer, amassing 176 runs in five matches, with a best score of an unbeaten 76 runs.

For this young lad, an old Hindi saying holds true: “Behtareen log ittefaaq se milte hain” (“The best people meet you by chance.”) Meaning, good people enter your life unexpectedly, as a fortunate coincidence.

Vaibhav’s coach, none other than Karnataka’s Rahul Dravid, was the happiest spectator last night at the Sawai Mansingh Pavilion. Yes, Rahul Dravid has been training this teenage prodigy.

Vaibhav’s Extraordinary Cricket Journey

Youngest Star in Bihar’s First-Class Squad

Vaibhav’s journey in cricket has been nothing short of extraordinary. At just 12 years old, he played for Bihar’s Under-19 team in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. In January 2024, at 12 years and 284 days, he made his first-class debut for Bihar against Mumbai. By doing so, he became the second-youngest cricketer to play for Bihar in the Ranji Trophy, and the fourth youngest overall in Indian first-class cricket history.

He broke Yuvraj Singh’s record (who had debuted at 15 years and 57 days) to become the youngest modern-era first-class debutant. However, the overall record remains with Alimuddin, who debuted for Rajputana at the age of just 12 years and 73 days during the 1942–43 season.

IPL Heroics: Second Fastest Century

In the IPL, Vaibhav smashed the second-fastest century. He completed it by hitting a six off Rashid Khan’s delivery on the second ball of the 11th over, reaching his century in just 35 balls.

Vaibhav vs. Sachin: A Bold Comparison

In comparison, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has left Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar miles behind at a similar age. Sachin, at 14, wasn’t even among the eleven players in matches—he played only as an extra fielder. He scored his first century at the age of 15, against Gujarat.

Thus, Vaibhav’s feats at the mere age of 14 have already overshadowed even the early exploits of the “Master Blaster.”