New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Rakesh Tiwari said that Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 success is a testament to Bihar’s rich cricketing talent, waiting to be discovered and nurtured.

Vaibhav, just 14 years old, has become the youngest-ever player to score a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing for the Rajasthan Royals, the Patna-born batter smashed a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans — the fastest IPL century by an Indian, breaking Yusuf Pathan’s record.

“We recognised Vaibhav’s talent at a young age, and we want to nurture him to become his best version. I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for his encouraging words today. We have been working hard to identify talented bowlers as well, and we recently launched a ‘Search for Bowlers’ initiative in Bihar. I am confident that, just like Vaibhav, more exceptional talents will emerge from this initiative.”

Tiwari further highlighted the recent domestic cricket push in the state. “Several domestic tournaments have recently been organised in Bihar, and we’ve discovered many talented young players through these events. Now, these players will also get the opportunity to showcase their skills and take their game to the next level,” he said.

“It was not just a personal milestone for Vaibhav but also a proof of the fact that there is no dearth of talent in Bihar cricket – what is needed are the right platforms, opportunities, and positive guidance,” Tiwari added.

Suryavanshi’s consistency has earned him a place in the Indian U19 squad for the upcoming England tour, scheduled from June 24 to July 23. The tour will include a warm-up match, five Youth ODIs, and two Youth Tests against England U19.

His meteoric rise was also acknowledged by Prime Minister Modi, who wrote on X, “At Patna airport, met the young cricketing sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi and his family. His cricketing skills are being admired all over the nation! My best wishes to him for his future endeavours.”

Before his IPL exploits, Vaibhav had already made history in domestic cricket. He made his first-class debut for Bihar in January 2024 at just 12 years and 284 days and scored 71 off 42 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Baroda, becoming the youngest Indian to hit a List-A fifty.

He also made headlines internationally, scoring the fastest youth Test century by an Indian — a 58-ball ton against Australia U19 in Chennai. In the U19 Asia Cup, he contributed two crucial half-centuries in India’s campaign to the final.

–IANS

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