Fourteen-year-old cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi was conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) on Friday, India’s highest civilian honour for children, at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu, recognising his exceptional achievement in sport.
He was among 20 young achievers honoured this year across fields including sports, bravery, innovation, science, social service and culture.
Addressing the awardees, President Murmu said, “Your achievements inspire the entire country. Every child honoured today is equally important and valued. t is because of such gifted children that India continues to shine on the global stage” .
The national recognition came days after Suryavanshi delivered a record-breaking performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Representing Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh on December 24, he scored 190 off 84 balls, becoming the youngest player in men’s List A history to register a century. His hundred came in just 36 deliveries, the third-fastest by an Indian.
The innings also saw him surpass AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest 150 in men’s List A cricket. Bihar’s total of 574 for six went on to become the highest-ever List A score, underlining the scale of the achievement.
