Patna: Just days after making headlines for scoring the fastest century in IPL history, teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi is under scrutiny—not for his on-field heroics, but for his age.
The 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals batter lit up the tournament with a blistering 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans. Yet, a resurfaced interview in which Vaibhav claimed he would “turn 14 in September 2023” has sparked a wave of questions about his true age.
Vaibhav’s date of birth is officially listed as March 27, 2011. School documents accessed by Bhaskar confirm the same. However, inconsistencies in his attendance and testimonies from classmates have only added fuel to the speculation.
“He never attended classes regularly,” said one student from Mukteshwar Sinha Modesty School in Samastipur, where Vaibhav is enrolled in Year 10. “We heard his name during roll calls, but he was rarely seen in class.”
The school’s principal, Adarsh Kumar, maintains that Vaibhav is indeed 14. “He is an exceptional talent, and he’s been with us for several years,” Kumar told reporters, while acknowledging the cricketer’s low attendance record.
Despite the cloud of controversy, Vaibhav’s father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, stands firm. “We’ve already done the BCCI’s bone age test when Vaibhav was just eight-and-a-half. He can undergo another test if needed,” he said, refuting allegations of age-fraud.
The BCCI uses the TW3 (Tanner-Whitehouse 3) bone age assessment method for age verification, which involves X-raying the wrist and evaluating bone maturity. Officials confirmed Vaibhav had passed these procedures.
His coach, Manish Ojha, has urged critics to “let the boy play.” “He is the country’s asset. All records are in order. BCCI would never have cleared him otherwise,” Ojha said.
Vaibhav’s rise has been meteoric. Trained at Zenith Cricket Academy in Samastipur, he debuted in domestic cricket at just 12 and was signed by the Royals for a staggering Rs 110 crore in IPL 2025. Despite the off-field noise, he remains focused on his craft.
“If he keeps his head down and avoids distractions, the sky is the limit,” said his class teacher, Harishchandra Kumar.
