Pride of the Nation: Vaibhav Suryavanshi Wins Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
Young cricket prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been honored with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by none other than the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. Since bursting onto the scene in early 2024, Suryavanshi has truly set the cricket world on fire.
He received this prestigious award at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday, December 25, and was also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi right after the ceremony. Due to this special occasion, Suryavanshi had to miss the second round of Bihar's Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Now, about the Prime Minister's National Child Award, it's the highest civilian honor in India for children aged 5 to 18. This award recognizes outstanding achievements across various fields, including sports, science and technology, social service, innovation, arts, and culture.
While accepting the award in front of a full audience, the announcer proudly noted that Suryavanshi is the youngest cricketer to play in the IPL and score a century in its 18-season history.
Also Read |
Bihar prodigy who rewrote List A history
Suryavanshi recently made waves as part of the India squad for the U19 Asia Cup, where he racked up an impressive 261 runs over five matches, boasting a striking strike rate of 182.51. Unfortunately, he couldn't deliver a standout performance in the final, which India lost in Dubai. On a brighter note, he’s coming off a record-breaking century in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
For those who might not know, Suryavanshi earned this recognition after an outstanding display earlier in the tournament. He scored a staggering 190 runs off just 84 balls against Arunachal Pradesh, featuring 16 fours and 15 sixes.
His explosive innings played a crucial role in Bihar's massive total of 574 in their 50 overs. Plus, he broke South Africa's AB de Villiers' record for the fastest 150 in List A cricket with that remarkable performance.