- By Manik Sharma
- Sat, 06 Jan 2024 03:07 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The opening day of the Ranji Trophy season in Patna unfolded with a delayed start and a dose of drama as a rift between two factions of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) spilled onto the field, leading to heated exchanges among officials. Despite the contentious atmosphere, Bihar cricket witnessed a historic moment as Vaibhav Suryavanshi, aged 12 years and 284 days, made his debut.
In a landmark decision, Bihar Cricket Association confirmed Suryavanshi as the youngest Indian first-class debutant since 1986. The record for the youngest player to feature in First-Class cricket in India still belongs to Alimuddin, who, at the age of 12 years and 73 days, made his debut for Rajputana against Baroda in the 1942-43 Ranji Trophy.
Hailing from Samastipur and now settled in Patna, the explosive left-handed batter had previously showcased his talent in the 2023 edition of the Cooch Behar Trophy, scoring an impressive 151 runs against Jharkhand in one of the matches and adding 76 in the second innings. Vaibhav's debut marks him as the ninth player globally to enter First-Class cricket before turning 13.
Suryavanshi, a left-hand batter, had also been in contention for the India Under-19 team, amassing 393 runs in five innings at the Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Bihar, showing an impressive average of 78.60. His batting dominance was evident in a Quadrangular Under-19 series last year, representing India B U19 and contributing 177 runs in six innings, including two half-centuries.
As for the match, Suryavanshi, despite the pressure of his debut, managed to score 19 runs off 28 balls in the first innings, featuring four boundaries before being dismissed by Shivam Dube.
Mumbai posted a total of 251 runs in the first innings, with Bhupen Lalwani emerging as the highest scorer with 65 runs, while Veer Pratap Singh stood out as the pick of the bowlers, securing a five-wicket haul.
