Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Bihar's 14-Year-Old Cricket Phenom Reshaping IPL and India’s Future
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 14-year-old cricketer from a rural village in Bihar, has emerged as one of the most remarkable young talents in Indian cricket with approximately 2.3 million Instagram followers and ties to the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
In April 2025, he achieved the youngest-ever IPL century, scoring a hundred off just 35 balls. By December 2025, he became the youngest male cricketer to score a century in 50-over cricket and recorded a brilliant innings of 171 runs off 95 balls during the Under-19 Asia Cup representing India.
Early in 2026, Vaibhav headed to Zimbabwe for the Under-19 World Cup, with India set to face the USA on January 15. Following this, he is expected to participate in the IPL in March, coinciding with him turning 15 years old and becoming eligible for India’s senior team. A possible T20 International series in England in July is also anticipated.
Vaibhav currently holds the highest professional T20 strike rate of any male cricketer as of early 2026.
His journey from Bihar is notable, with his father reportedly driving him 90 miles to Patna for training during the early hours. Recognizing his extraordinary talent in smashing length balls over mid-on, Prime Minister Narendra Modi awarded him India’s highest childhood state honour.
The Guardian highlights the IPL as a nation-building platform that channels energy into short-form cricket content, while also underscoring the broader socio-economic context surrounding prodigy narratives like Vaibhav’s.
