U19 World Cup 2026: Ever since Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's debut in competitive Cricket, the boy from Bihar has achieved monumental things in his short career so far. From the Indian Premier League to representing his state in Vijay Hazare, he has certainly made a mark too big for his own age. Notably, the 14-year-old is featuring in the Under-19 World Cup, which started on Thursday (January 15).

The BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India) is overseeing his journey from close quarters, as he has the potential to do wonders for India. However, former Indian cricketer and commentator at present, WV Raman, feels that Suryavanshi is capable of competing alongside the senior Men's side under head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Raman also claimed that Suryavanshi playing at the U19 level could be ‘detrimental’ to his growth.

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“This could be an unpopular opinion. #Suryavanshi has performed extremely well in the A series and the IPL. Making him play at the U-19 level is likely to be detrimental to his growth. He may win matches no doubt, but it should be always be about the big picture," Raman wrote on X.

Suryavanshi's Flop Show Against USA U19

Suryavanshi, who opens the innings for India U19 for some time, couldn't set the stage on fire as he fell for just 2 runs against the United States of America in the inaugural match of Under 19 World Cup. However, his dismissal didn't hamper India's chances by much as the Ayush Mhatre-led side won the game by 6 wickets on Thursday.

Suryavanshi also took a wicket to end the USA's innings.

Suryavanshi Stats:

Still only 14, cricket might not have seen a talent as prodigious as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who will be one of the star attractions at this tournament.

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Announcing himself as a superstar with a century on debut for India U19 while still only 13, Sooryavanshi then went on to become the youngest player to sign an IPL contract before smashing a 35-ball century, the second fastest in the league's history.

A destructive batter, he scored 262 runs in the recent U19 Asia Cup, averaging more than 50 with a strike rate of 182, breaking the record for the quickest Youth ODI century on his way to 171 from 95 balls against the UAE.

Inputs from Agency