In a week that has seen him redefine the boundaries of List A cricket, 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi reached a different kind of milestone on Friday, December 26.
The Bihar opener was officially conferred with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, India’s highest civilian honor for children, in a prestigious ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Suryavanshi received the award from President Droupadi Murmu in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the field of sports.
VAIBHAV SURYAVANSHI – He is achieving Greatness at the age of 14 😍
– He has awarded Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puruskar. 🏅 pic.twitter.com/1X2JZVDHs8
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 26, 2025
The ceremony, which also featured a special interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, necessitated the youngster’s absence from Bihar’s second-round fixture in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. While his teammates took to the field against Manipur, Vaibhav was representing the future of Indian sports on the national stage.
The timing of the award could not have been more poetic. Just 48 hours prior, the left-handed sensation had sent shockwaves through the cricketing world during Bihar’s tournament opener against Arunachal Pradesh.
In that match, he hammered a 36-ball century – the fastest in List A history – eventually finishing with a massive 190 runs. His performance didn’t just win the match; it shattered long-standing world records and proved exactly why he was selected for such a high national honor.
For the young cricketer, the award ceremony marks the pinnacle of a whirlwind year that included a historic IPL auction deal and a dominant run in age-group cricket. The recognition at Rashtrapati Bhavan serves as a formal acknowledgement of his status as one of India’s most promising athletic talents.
Vaibhav’s focus will now shift back to the 22 yards. After the celebrations in Delhi, he is expected to link up with the India Under-19 squad, which is scheduled to depart for South Africa on December 30. Having conquered domestic records and received presidential accolades, the world stage now awaits India’s newest sporting icon.
