Suryavanshi recently became the youngest-ever centurion in the IPL history.
Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi took the IPL by storm last week as he became the youngest-ever centurion in the tournament’s history.
The 14-year-old raced to his maiden IPL ton in just 35 balls, paving the way for RR’s eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the chase of 210. The southpaw eventually scored 101 off 38 deliveries before being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna.
Suryavanshi’s whirlwind knock was studded with seven boundaries and 11 sixes as his fireworks left the fans, experts and cricket fraternity in awe.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s brilliance also caught the attention of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Sunday (May 4) hailed the ‘son of Bihar’ for working immensely hard on his craft which helped him play fearless cricket on the big stage.
Modi mentioned Vaibhav’s batting exploits in his video address during the inauguration of the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar.
“I have seen in the IPL, the son of Bihar, Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s spectacular performance. At such a young age, Vaibhav has set such a great record. There is a lot of hard work behind Vaibhav’s performance," Modi said in his address.
PM Modi highlighted how single-minded training and several matches he played contributed to Suryavanshi’s success and encouraged the youth to put in the hard yards.
“To bring his talent to the forefront, he has played many matches at different levels. The more you play, the more you will shine. Competing in matches and competitions as much as possible is very important. The NDA government has always given it the highest priority in its policies.
“The government’s focus is on giving our athletes the opportunity to play new sports. That is why the Khelo India Youth Games included Gatka, Kho-kho, Malkhambh and Yogasana. In recent days, our athletes have performed very well in many new sports like Wushu, Lawn Balls, Roller Skating."
Modi said sports holds a significant place in his government’s policy making.
“There is a new national education policy, in which we have made sports a part of mainstream education. The aim of this policy is to create excellent sports professionals along with good players in the country.
“My young friends, we know that sportsmanship plays a very important role in every aspect of life. We learn team spirit in the field of sports. We learn to move forward together," he remarked.
(With PTI Inputs)