India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who recently played a key role in the nation’s triumph at the U-19 Cricket World Cup earlier this month, will not sit for the Class 10 board exams this year. There was speculation over whether the 14-year-old would be able to appear for the crucial exams, but his commitments on the cricket field ultimately took precedence.
I spent most of 2025 on international tours representing India Under-19 and even India A, Sooryavanshi had limited time for academic preparation. The left-handed batsman, a resident of Tajpur in Bihar, is enrolled at Modesty School in Tajpur and was scheduled to appear for the Class 10 exams from February 17 to March 11.
However, his coach Manish Ojha has confirmed that the youngster will skip the examination to focus on preparing for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Sooryavanshi is expected to play a key role for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 after a remarkable debut in 2025 and has already joined the franchise’s pre-season camp.
“He will not be giving Class X exams. He is currently in Nagpur preparing for the upcoming IPL. He has already joined Rajasthan Royals for the pre-season camp,” Ojha told India Today.
Formerly Neel Kishore, Principal, Podar International School, Samastipur – Sooryavanshi Examination Center – confirmed his participation in the board exams and made it clear that there would be no special treatment despite his newfound stardom. However, the young cricketer is not taking the Tests this year.
How did Sooryavanshi do at the U19 World Cup?
Sooryavanshi was the headliner of the 2026 U-19 World Cup, produced one of the greatest final strokes the tournament has seen. His 175 off just 80 balls against England was a fearless attack filled with 15 fours and 15 sixes, the most ever scored in a single innings of the U19 World Cup.
He finished the competition as the second highest run scorer with 439 runs in seven matches at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate close to 170. With a century and three fifties, he was the driving force behind India’s title and was deservedly named Player of the Match and also Player of the Tournament in the final.
His sixth strike was equally stunning. Sooryavanshi smashed 30 sixes in the entire tournament, surpassing Dewald Brevis’ previous record of 18 by a huge margin and now holds the record for most sixes in the history of the U19 World Cup.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 16, 2026