[PICTURES] Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The 13-year-old Indian cricketer who won a $130,500 IPL deal

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What's this Afghanistan-level malarkey going on in the state of Bihar?

A 12 year old Vaibhav has made his FC debut vs Mumbai playing for Bihar. As I type, he's currently holding one end for his team as Bihar predictably capitulate against the domestic giant Mumbai.

I checked his profile and it says he played a few games for India U19. This means he was subjected to all the procedural checks at NCA and got a green flag.

Or did he just prove that the NCA age-checking process is far from foolproof? I know for certain age fudging is rampant in that part of the country because coveted government jobs, Sarkari naukari, etc come with an age limit.

I saw his photo and he looks much like what Prithvi Shaw looked like in 2012-13.

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Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 12-year-old Bihar cricketer, makes his first-class debut in the Ranji Trophy

Friday was the start of the most recent season of the Ranji Trophy, India's premier red-ball domestic competition, at a number of different locations. There are up to 19 games going on, with 38 teams participating.

The Ranji Trophy is currently underway, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a great young player from Bihar, has made waves in the cricket world by making his first-class debut.

At the juvenile age of twelve, Vaibhav has already surpassed the early records set by cricket greats Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar to become one of the youngest debutants in Indian first-class cricket history.

If Vaibhav's age of 12 is accurate, he will be among the youngest debutants in the history of the Indian first class, younger than Yuvraj Singh and the illustrious Sachin Tendulkar.

Vaibhav proved his ability as a cricketer last year by playing for the India B U19 side in a Quadrangular Under-19 series, which preceded his debut into the Ranji Trophy. He made a lasting impression throughout this series with a remarkable effort, scoring 177 runs in six innings, including two tremendous half -centuries.

With 393 runs from five matches and an average of 78.60, he ended as the eighth-best run scorer at the Vinoo Mankad Trophy the previous year. He made one hundred and thirty-three half-centuries.

Vaibhav revealed in an interview that he began playing cricket at the age of nine, receiving early coaching from his father. This young cricketer, who is well-known for his love of the pull shot, is currently making big progress on the local circuit.

SOURCE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...nji-trophy/articleshow/106599509.cms?from=mdr
 
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even if he is fudging, hes still super young looking at his pics, he doesnt look older than 13 or 14. pretty impressive feat nonetheless.
 
He is from Bihar - where most people fake their age by 3-4 years to be eligible for govt jobs & civil service exams !
 
But even if he is 16-17 - he looks pretty impressive, But I hope he gets his age corrected or else he will get banned by BCCI like Rasikh Salam
 
I think he is an age fudger like Sachin Tendulkar and Shahid Afridi.
Sachin was born in an upper middle class family in Bombay, his father was a professor and intellectual/poet/writer in Marathi circles. Went through the Bombay schooling system, his rise from a childhood prodigy is well documented. He looked like a 16 year old in his debut series, and a 40 year old in his final series.
 
India has many fake age guys like Sehwag, Dhoni, Yuvraj - but Sachin Tendulkar is not one of them. His childhood & schooldays were well documented in Mumbai newspapers - such was his dominance of school cricket !
Age fudging was/is prevalent in North and East India. Not South and West, especially not in urban regions of these parts.
 
He looks very young and there’s no proof yet that he fudged his age?
What’s with the negativity?
All I see is a very talented kid.
 
There's no way he is 12. Age fudging. He maybe 15 like Tendulkar was because he does look like a legit. school kid but 12?

Have they not administered that wrist test?
 
Why is the media calling him a teen? He's got some months to go before he's officially a teen.

The fact that he'd be eligible for U19 WC in 2030 makes me LMAO
 
If it is age fudging they will catch it in case if he makes it to under-19. This picture doesn't tell much though. I have seen actualy 13 year old that look older than him. So you can't go by this. Since it is Bihar anything goes. NO way he can be 15 though.
 
If it is age fudging they will catch it in case if he makes it to under-19. This picture doesn't tell much though. I have seen actualy 13 year old that look older than him. So you can't go by this. Since it is Bihar anything goes. NO way he can be 15 though.
Dont think a 13 year old will ever be physically strong enough to play with adults. Never seen that ever happen in men's sport of any kind. So he must be atleast 15-16
 
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I'd say he might have understated his age by 1-2 years.
 
Bihar is notorious for age fudging. Anyway good luck to the lad.
 
Bihar is notorious for age fudging. Anyway good luck to the lad.
Have there been other instances of players from Bihar? A few posters have mentioned its a Bihar issue. Can you give more detail for those unfamiliar?
 
Have there been other instances of players from Bihar? A few posters have mentioned its a Bihar issue. Can you give more detail for those unfamiliar?
It's the most backward state in India, in fact even region if you club Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Maladministration, mismanagement are part of life there. That place doesn't produce cricketers because of its pathetic infrastructure, poverty, malnutrition and so many issues. In fact they don't have many achievements to show in the modern era. Please google 'exam cheating Bihar' or 'Bihar topper Ruby' and you'll see how rotten the system is there. I wish those people well, but long way to go for them.

Age fudging is common in that part of India when it comes to education, government exams, jobs etc. Why should cricket be any different?
 
It's the most backward state in India, in fact even region if you club Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Maladministration, mismanagement are part of life there. That place doesn't produce cricketers because of its pathetic infrastructure, poverty, malnutrition and so many issues. In fact they don't have many achievements to show in the modern era. Please google 'exam cheating Bihar' or 'Bihar topper Ruby' and you'll see how rotten the system is there. I wish those people well, but long way to go for them.

Age fudging is common in that part of India when it comes to education, government exams, jobs etc. Why should cricket be any different?
Yet, artists like Pankaj tripathi, manoj bajpayee; players like Ishan Kishan, Dhoni, and most IIT'ians and IAS officers come from that state!
Don't generalize things. I was in Bihar just last month. It really isnt as bad.
And age fudging is a thing of the past. You can't fudge age these days, especially not in cricket. It will speak more about BCCI's inability to allow such a thing, than Bihar. So, unless you know it first hand, don't malign something and somebody. Your chances of being correct is just as much as being wrong.
 
Yet, artists like Pankaj tripathi, manoj bajpayee; players like Ishan Kishan, Dhoni, and most IIT'ians and IAS officers come from that state!
Don't generalize things. I was in Bihar just last month. It really isnt as bad.
And age fudging is a thing of the past. You can't fudge age these days, especially not in cricket. It will speak more about BCCI's inability to allow such a thing, than Bihar. So, unless you know it first hand, don't malign something and somebody. Your chances of being correct is just as much as being wrong.
Look at various indices, government reports, and see which state is consistently at bottom.
 
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Bihar guys looks younger then they actually are so even by that thing he is not anything above 15
 
2/3 years age fudging is the current norm for Indo pak cricketers as opposed to 5-8 years in yesteryears , I find it hard to believe that 75% of the Pak U19 squad consisting of players age 17 and below.
 
Until and unless he joined the school at the age of 8 it is not possible to fudge the age .. Hospital certificate may be because it's not in public domain but schooling is not..
 
Age fudging is common nowadays in the sub-continent and I will say that he looks around 15-16. He can be talented no doubt but he is 12? I guess not.
 
Age fudging is common nowadays in the sub-continent and I will say that he looks around 15-16. He can be talented no doubt but he is 12? I guess not.
Based on new that spreads he is 14 actually. If he is good enough and is ready for under-19 world cup then his real age will be verified.
 
Based on new that spreads he is 14 actually. If he is good enough and is ready for under-19 world cup then his real age will be verified.
Yes, sounds more like the real age. I think he can play u19s for a good 5 years based on his real age.
 
It is not easy to fo the system though. Hospital issued certificate is mandatory. You can't make up your own DOB.
In UP Bihar its very easy to get fudged medical certificate

Most people here dont know how corrupt Bihar is. Literally every guy I met from Bihar in college & office had their age fudged by2-3 years
 
What is the situation in other states?
In metros & big cities age fudging is very difficult as your birthdate is mentioned on your school leaving certificate

But in rural areas & small cities age fudging is still prevalent. Rishab Pant & Prithvi Shaw for examples of age fudging. They look lot older than their official age
 
Yet, artists like Pankaj tripathi, manoj bajpayee; players like Ishan Kishan, Dhoni, and most IIT'ians and IAS officers come from that state!
Don't generalize things. I was in Bihar just last month. It really isnt as bad.
And age fudging is a thing of the past. You can't fudge age these days, especially not in cricket. It will speak more about BCCI's inability to allow such a thing, than Bihar. So, unless you know it first hand, don't malign something and somebody. Your chances of being correct is just as much as being wrong.
Its a myth that "most IIT & IAS " comes from Bihar. Bihar is not even in Top 5

Andhra Pradesh is top in IIT by huge margin followed by Maharashtra. In IAS its UP followed by Rajasthan & Tamil Nadu
 
There was a darts player who did very well in the UK recently. He was only 16 years old but looked in his 30s.

Pictures don't always tell the full story.
 
He is not 12. Could be 14 or 15.

Either way, still too young and loads of time to improve.
 
Yep. Still too young and Raw to be judged critically. Let him play for a few seasons and then people can have a say about him. he is young but not looking like 12 years old to me.
 
Vaibhav unbeaten on 81 off 47 balls against AUS U19 on day 1 of youth test. Still officially 13 years old.
 
He's playing for India U19 so he was definitely subject to all the NCA mandated background checks etcetera. Still, he's 100% an age fudger. Probably 2 years at most though? I cannot otherwise imagine a 13 year old taking on 18 year old quicks - the developmental gap is HUGE between those two ages.
 
Looks like he knows that he got away with fooling all of India
Age fudging is a norm in Bihar.

The most humorous incidents from Bihar occurred when Lalu Yadav fielded both of his sons in the elections. The younger son was stated to be 26 years old on paper, while his elder brother was 25 years old on his certificate.
 
Age fudging is a norm in Bihar.

The most humorous incidents from Bihar occurred when Lalu Yadav fielded both of his sons in the elections. The younger son was stated to be 26 years old on paper, while his elder brother was 25 years old on his certificate.
Age fudging in UP-Bihar happens mostly for govt jobs. they shave of some years to push the retirement age back. Not much from a cricketing perspective or to cheat the u-19 system. Most u-19 teams form India if you see; the kids mostly come from big cities- Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi etc so most cases their birth certificates are legit.

Yeah, in IPL, domestics etc you might see someone crack the team from the more interior areas or remote areas. Good chance the age is give or take not accurate.
 
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I don’t trust the age mostly because it is incredible someone to be so matured and skillful at that age. but he doesn’t look much older than the stated age, worst case couple of years older, like he is 15. Even for a 15 year old facing 18/19 years olds and scoring so fluently is unbelievable. Skill gap at even one year at that age is huge. I played age groups and facing one age group one level up is very difficult until players hit 16 to 17 years of age at the minimum
 
Age fudging in UP-Bihar happens mostly for govt jobs. they shave of some years to push the retirement age back. Not much from a cricketing perspective or to cheat the u-19 system. Most u-19 teams form India if you see; the kids mostly come from big cities- Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi etc so most cases their birth certificates are legit.

Yeah, in IPL, domestics etc you might see someone crack the team from the more interior areas or remote areas. Good chance the age is give or take not accurate.
With due respect, it is better to not speak about topics about which one lacks knowledge. First of all, UP is among the top states in terms of U19 participation. 3 UP boys have led the Indian U19 team in past U19 World Cups. The current captain of the U19 team is also from UP.

The age fudging is not exclusive to UP/Bihar but is also prevalent in other states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bengal and some Northeastern states. This issue can be found in other sports as well. Another concern is that of fake domicile. Influential coaches and other individuals may support the athletes. Though federations, including the BCCI, have attempted to combat this problem and there has been a notable reduction in recent years.
 
I think he is an age fudger like Sachin Tendulkar and Shahid Afridi.
its a sin writing the names of someone as clean as Tendulkar and someone as lawless as Afridi in the same sentence , let alone in terms of age fudging.

World knows Sachin was born on 24 April 1973.. his birthday is celebrated every year by even Pakistanis ....but the world has different dates of Afridis birthday. or no date. Never seen anyone celebrate Afridis birthday
 
Vaibhav unfortunate to be run out after cracking a 62 ball 104.

13 years old.
 
13-yr-old sensation smashes fastest-ever century for India in U19 Tests

Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit a century off merely 58 balls against Australia U19 in the ongoing Youth Test in Chennai.

Suryavanshi, just 13 years of age, took on the Australia bowlers in Chennai and smashed the second-fastest ton in Youth Tests. His century which included five sixes and 14 fours, came off merely 58 balls.

This placed him behind England’s Moeen Ali, who had hit a 56-ball ton in 2005, and the fastest-ever to achieve the feat in India.

Suryavanshi’s 104 was the highest score in India’s innings and helped the Boys in Blue to gain a slender advantage in the first innings. In response to Australia U19’s 293, India finished at 296 in the ongoing game.

India had won the three-game Youth ODI series preceding this ‘Test’.

ICC
 
....but the world has different dates of Afridis birthday. or no date. Never seen anyone celebrate Afridis birthday
Even the cricinfo reviwers wrote the same thing after reading his auto biography. One time he mentioned he is 5 years older,other time 7/8 and another time 3 years.
 
Even if he is a single year off and it is managed to be proved, ban him.
 
15 apparently. Local newspapers have gotten to the bottom of his age mystery.

There you go, it's proven. Ban him for the same number of years he has fudged: 3 years in this case.
 
There you go, it's proven. Ban him for the same number of years he has fudged: 3 years in this case.
He's still a kid. He shouldn't be banned. He's still 15 and not overaged for that age group .

A fine would suffice.

You really shouldn't be banning a minor for what his parents have done.
 
He's still a kid. He shouldn't be banned. He's still 15 and not overaged for that age group .

A fine would suffice.

You really shouldn't be banning a minor for what his parents have done.

Ban this particular specimen, so parents all over will think twice before trying this stunt.
 
Yet. Of course he will be overaged in a few short years.
That's assuming he is still playing Under 19 cricket in 5 years

3 year ban is disproportionately harsh. Ban him for 2-3 tournaments if you must and correct his age in the records.
 
I'm for banning overaged players in Under 19 cricket. But he's not overaged.

True. And doesn't India have that rule now that someone can represent India in only one (or 2) U19 WCs? So he's unlikely to be found overaged.

Besides, his real age would obviously be corrected in coming weeks.
 
True. And doesn't India have that rule now that someone can represent India in only one (or 2) U19 WCs? So he's unlikely to be found overaged.

Besides, his real age would obviously be corrected in coming weeks.
Yeah. Dravid insisted on that when he was the U19/NCA head coach.

So there's no chance of him being overaged In an under 19 World Cup.
 
If he has cheated then ban him for few years even if he is second coming of Sachin.
 
You cannot ban players unless his age is over than the allowed age. This is under-19. I am 100% sure he is under 19. So when he reaches 19 if he is proven to be old then punish him.
 
If he has cheated then ban him for few years even if he is second coming of Sachin.

Not a practical approach.
We should just have mandatory age verification in place and go by verified age.

Bharat is not a perfect country. Far far from it. You can’t go on hanging people by the neck for things like these when corrupt leaders who have looted so much money are roaming free in their luxury cars and fancy mansions.

The clean up must always start from the top. Why should the poor bear the brunt
 
Not a practical approach.
We should just have mandatory age verification in place and go by verified age.

Bharat is not a perfect country. Far far from it. You can’t go on hanging people by the neck for things like these when corrupt leaders who have looted so much money are roaming free in their luxury cars and fancy mansions.

The clean up must always start from the top. Why should the poor bear the brunt
Don't care about economic pressure on non-privileged to game the system or top down justice etc.

I care about cricket. And how many kids his cheating will affect. How many genuine kids will be hurt by a overaged bully.
 
Don't care about economic pressure on non-privileged to game the system or top down justice etc.

I care about cricket. And how many kids his cheating will affect. How many genuine kids will be hurt by a overaged bully.

You are going to ban talented cricketers because you , the richest cricket board in the world cannot afford a Rs 2000/- test?
 
You are going to ban talented cricketers because you , the richest cricket board in the world cannot afford a Rs 2000/- test?
Ok. Test done. Assuming he isn't a Puja Khedekar and doesn't rig the age test too, result comes that he is 18 pretending to be 13. He has already bullied kids in under 11, under 13, under 15, under 17 and stole a spot from them.

India lost out on 2 test quality batters because his parents want unfair advantage for their child.

What is the punishment? I'm not jailing him. Just ban him some years and let him compete with adults in few years.
 
First real look at this prodigy from Bihar @Nikhil_cric


It's only the HL package but I am 100% sold on him purely from an ability PoV. Absolutely top drawer strokeplay.
 
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First real look at this prodigy from Bihar @Nikhil_cric



It's only the HL package but I am 100% sold on him purely from an ability PoV. Absolutely top drawer strokeplay.
Not a facsimile of Jaiswal but some of his strokes are very similar. Very impressive prospect.
 
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