President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar on cricket prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi for his remarkable achievements in the sport. The award ceremony took place in the national capital, recognising exceptional accomplishments in various fields, including Sports, Bravery, Social Service, Environment, Art & Culture, and Science & Technology.
The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is India’s highest civilian honour for individuals aged five to 18, aimed at acknowledging outstanding achievements in diverse areas like art, innovation, science, social service, sports, and bravery.
Speaking at the event, President Murmu congratulated the awardees, highlighting, “Vaibhav Suryavanshi has made a name for himself in the highly competitive and talent-filled world of cricket and has set many records.”
Later in the day, Suryavanshi is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following the ceremony, he will rejoin the India Under-19 squad and travel to Zimbabwe to prepare for the Under-19 World Cup, commencing on January 15.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also extended its congratulations to the young batter, stating, “Congratulations to our explosive young batter, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, on being conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by the Honourable President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmuji,” via a post on X.
Earlier this week, Suryavanshi scored 190 off 84 balls against Arunachal Pradesh at the Vijay Hazare Trophy, making him the youngest centurion in List A history. His innings broke AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest 150 in List A cricket, and his 15 sixes set a record for the most by any Indian in the 50-over format.
Earlier this month, he marked his first T20 domestic century with an unbeaten 108 off 61 balls for Bihar against Maharashtra in an Elite Group B Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 match held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. At 14 years and 250 days, he became the youngest batter to score a century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Suryavanshi also set the record for the highest score by an Indian in U19 Asia Cup history, making 171 off just 95 balls against the UAE. His achievements include a century against the Australia U19 team during a Youth Test match in Brisbane last November. A standout performance in the Rising Stars Asia Cup saw him score 144 off 42 balls for India A against UAE, including 11 fours and 15 sixes, with his 32-ball century making him the youngest player to achieve this feat for any national representative side at senior level, breaking a 20-year-old record.
Suryavanshi emerged as the most-searched Indian on Google, ranking sixth overall worldwide. Last month, Instagram featured his journey on its official page, making him only the second Indian cricketer, after Virat Kohli, to receive such recognition.
The young talent, hailing from Bihar, had a breakthrough IPL debut season with the Rajasthan Royals, making history as the youngest player in the tournament at just 14 years and 23 days, debuting against the Lucknow Super Giants. He became the youngest centurion in IPL history nine days later, with a stunning 35-ball 100 against the Gujarat Titans, marking the fastest IPL century by an Indian and the second-fastest overall, trailing only Chris Gayle.