India and Rajasthan Royals’ talented batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi will be back in action on Saturday (January 3) as he will be leading the India U19 team in a bilateral series against South Africa. The three-match series is slated to begin tomorrow.
After featuring in the U19 Asia Cup, the left-handed batter played two matches of Vijay Hazare Trophy for Bihar. Suryavanshi struck 190 against Arunachal Pradesh while scored 31 against Meghalaya. He missed the second fixture as he was in Delhi.
The 14-year-old received India’s highest civilian award for children (aged 5–18), recognising exceptional achievement across fields including sports, bravery, innovation, science, social service, and culture. Addressing the awardees, President Murmu praised the children for inspiring the nation.
Met Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the young IPL sensation from Samastipur, Bihar, who has made headlines with a शानदार century. Today in Delhi, he was honoured with the National Bal Puraskar by Hon’ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu—an inspiring moment for young talent across the nation. pic.twitter.com/9wEVR7TOc7
— Ravneet Singh Bittu (@RavneetBittu) December 26, 2025
“Your achievements inspire the entire country. Every child honoured today is equally important and valued,” she said. “It is because of such gifted children that India continues to shine on the global stage.”
Honoured to receive the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puruskar 🏅.
Heartfelt thanks to my parents, mentors, and everyone who believed in me. This achievement belongs to all of you. 🙏🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/XkXd901yHr— Vaibhav Suryavanshi (@Vaibhavsooryava) December 26, 2025
She added that while only a few names could be mentioned due to time constraints, every awardee had made a remarkable contribution in their respective field, crediting parents and families for their support.
Suryavanshi has also been named in the U19 World Cup squad and the captain of the side is Ayush Mhatre.
India U19 squad for ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026: Ayush Mhatre (C), Vihaan Malhotra (VC), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan
India’s squad for SA tour: Vaibhav Suryavanshi (C), Aaron George (VC), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan, Yuvraj Gohil, Rahul Kumar
Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra have sustained wrist injuries and will miss the South Africa tour.
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