Young and promising Indian cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi was felicitated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday, following the teenager’s heroics in Under-19 (U-19) World Cup 2026.
Vaibhav scored 175 runs off just 80 balls to help India beat England by 100 runs in the final to clinch the Under-19 World Cup title earlier in February. That was India’s sixth U-19 World Cup title, once again asserting their dominance in the history of the tournament.
Vaibhav was named the Player of the Match as well as Player of the Tournament. He aggregated 439 runs from seven matches at an average of 62.71, and registered one century and three fifties.
Vaibhav Sooyavanshi receives cheque of ₹50 lakh
Vaibhav, who hails from Samastipur district in Bihar, received a cheque of ₹50 lakh and a ceremonial shawl at Sankalp Sabhagar, which is a meeting hall within the Chief Minister’s residence in Patna.
“Through his hard work and talent, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has emerged as a new hope for Indian cricket. I wish him success in setting new milestones for the national team and bringing glory to the country,” Nitish said as per a statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
The Chief Minister also said that the state government has plans to develop world-class sports infrastructure to help Vaibhav and the other budding athletes of Bihar.
“It is a matter of happiness for all of us that a son of Bihar has achieved international success through dedication and talent. You are indeed an inspiration to the children of the state,” added Nitish.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, sports minister Shreyasi Singh, state government’s senior officials and members of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) also attended the ceremony.
Vaibhav’s family members were also present at the event. Suryavanshi also attended a separate event in Danapur and was presented a car by Tata Motors. “This is not just a gift, but an inspiration to perform better in the future,” he said.
The 14-year-old rose to fame with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025. He aggregated 252 runs from seven matches at a strike-rate of 206.56, slamming one century and a half-century.
The century, a knock of 101, came against Gujarat Titans (GT) in a match-winning cause. Rajasthan Royals chased down a target of 210 with eight wickets to spare, and Vaibhav was adjudged the Player of the Match.
