Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was born on 27 March 2011 in Tajpur, a town in the Samastipur district of the Mithila region of Bihar.^[2] His father Sanjiv, who was an aspiring cricketer, played a key role in shaping his career.^[3] Vaibhav began his cricket training at the age of four in his hometown. Recognising his talent, his father enrolled him at Manish Ojha's GenNex Cricket Academy in Patna when he was eight years old. Vaibhav and his father used to travel approximately 100 km from Samastipur to Patna on alternate days for his training sessions. His childhood coach Ojha has described him as a quick learner.^[4][5] He is a fan of the West Indian batting great Brian Lara.^[6]

Vaibhav played as a 12-year-old the Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Bihar's under-19 side.^[7][8]

In 2023, he played for the India B under-19 side in a quadrangular series, scoring 177 runs in six innings, including two half-centuries.^[8]

In September 2024, he made his debut for India under-19 against Australia under-19s.^[9] He scored a 58-ball century on his under-19 Test debut, the fastest for an Indian under-19 player, before being run out for 104.^[10][11] This was the second-fastest century in under-19 international cricket.^[12]

At the 2024 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, Vaibhav scored 76 off 46 balls against UAE under-19s,^[13] followed by 67 runs from 36 balls in the semi-final against Sri Lanka under-19s.^[14]

In November 2025, he scored 144 runs off just 42 balls playing for India A against the United Arab Emirates in the Asia Cup Rising Stars T20 match. He scored his century off just 32 balls.^[15]

In the final of the 2026 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, Vaibhav scored 175 runs off 80 balls against England, smashing 15 fours & 15 sixes in a record-breaking knock.^[16]

Vaibhav made his first-class debut for Bihar against Mumbai at the age of 12 years and 284 days old in January 2024.^[17][18] In doing so, he became the second youngest cricketer to play in the Ranji Trophy for Bihar, and the fourth youngest overall.^[19] He became the youngest player in the modern era, beating the record of Yuvraj Singh (15 years and 57 days), with Alimuddin holding the overall record for the youngest Indian first-class debutant at just 12 years and 73 days old in the 1942–43 season for Rajputana.^[2]

In November 2024, he became the youngest player to debut in T20 cricket at the age of 13 years and 241 days, appearing for Bihar against Rajasthan in the 2024–25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.^[20][21]

In December 2024, he became the youngest Indian player to play List A cricket, during his debut for Bihar in the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy against Madhya Pradesh at the age of 13 years and 269 days.^[22][23]

In December 2025, during the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Vaibhav scored a 36-ball century against Arunachal Pradesh, becoming the youngest player in the world to score a hundred in List A cricket at the age of 14 years and 272 days. In the same match, he broke AB de Villiers' record for the fastest 150 in List A cricket in just 59 balls, eventually scoring 190 off 84 balls, with 16 fours and 15 sixes.^[24]

In November 2024, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to sign an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract when he was picked by the Rajasthan Royals at 13 years old for ₹1.1 crore (US$110,000).^[25]

On 19 April 2025, Sooryavanshi made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals against the Lucknow Super Giants at the age of 14 years and 23 days, becoming the youngest debutant in IPL history.^[26] He is notably the first IPL player born after the league's inception in 2008.^[27] In his debut IPL match, he scored 34 runs in 20 balls, including a first-ball six.^[28]

On 28 April 2025, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a century in the IPL, at 14 years and 32 days old,^[29] when he scored 101 off 38 balls in a match against Gujarat Titans. He reached his century in just 35 balls, making it the second-fastest century in IPL history behind Chris Gayle (30 balls), and the fastest by an Indian.^[30] During the innings, he also became the youngest player with a 50+ score in all T20s and equalled the record for most sixes in an IPL innings by an Indian (11), set by Murali Vijay.^[31]

Doubts have been raised over the authenticity of Sooryavanshi's official date of birth.^[32] In a 2023 interview, Sooryavanshi stated that he would turn 14 on 27 September 2023, implying that he is about a year and a half older than his official age.^[33][34] In November 2024, his father Sanjiv Sooryavanshi insisted that his official date of birth was accurate and that he had undergone a bone density test conducted by the BCCI when he was eight and a half years old.^[35] He also stated that Vaibhav has consistently cleared BCCI-mandated bone tests, which are crucial for age verification.^[36]

Questions arose when he showed immense power-hitting skills, with former Pakistani cricketer Junaid Khan questioning if a 13-year-old could hit such long sixes.^[37]