President Honours Vaibhav Suryavanshi with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

National Honour for Exceptional Young Talent

President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar on Vaibhav Suryavanshi , a 14-year-old cricket prodigy from Bihar, at an award ceremony held in New Delhi. The honour recognises children between the ages of five and 18 for extraordinary achievements across fields such as sports, bravery, social service, environment, art and culture, and science and technology.

Congratulating the awardees, the President said Vaibhav had carved a distinct identity in Indian cricket at an age when most players are still in junior academies, setting benchmarks through discipline, talent and fearless batting.

Record-Shattering Domestic Performances

Vaibhav drew nationwide attention after his sensational 190 off 84 balls for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy . The knock made him the youngest centurion in List A cricket and saw him surpass AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest 150 in the format. His 15 sixes in the innings also became the highest by an Indian in 50-over domestic cricket.

Excellence Across Formats and Age Groups

Earlier, Vaibhav smashed an unbeaten 108 off 61 balls against Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy , becoming the youngest centurion in the tournament’s history. At the junior international level, he holds the record for the highest score by an Indian in the Under-19 Asia Cup with 171 against the UAE and also scored a century against Australia Under-19 in a Youth Test in Brisbane.

Historic IPL Achievement

Vaibhav made IPL history by debuting for Rajasthan Royals at 14 years and 23 days , the youngest player ever in the league. Just nine days later, he struck a blistering 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans, becoming the youngest IPL centurion and the fastest Indian to score an IPL hundred . The BCCI hailed him as one of India’s most exciting emerging batting talents.

Important Facts for Exams

• Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is India’s highest civilian award for children

• The award recognises excellence in six categories

• List A cricket refers to official domestic one-day matches

• Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is India’s premier domestic T20 competition