Vaibhav Sooryavanshi barely has time to put away his U-19 World Cup medal before life throws him into the most familiar pressure of all, the dashboard trials. Just days after scripting India’s title triumph with a breathtaking final innings, the 14-year-old is now preparing for his Class 10 exams.
After his match-winning 175 against England in the final in Hararewho led India to their sixth U-19 World Cup crown, Sooryavanshi will soon return to his normal student routine, with trials starting on February 17.
Neel Kishore, principal of Podar International School in Samastipur, confirmed the teenager’s attendance and made it clear that there would be no special treatment despite his newfound stardom.
“Cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will appear for class 10 exams in our school. He has received admit card,” said Kishore.
“Everybody, be it teachers, students or parents, is excited about his arrival. However, we have made arrangements keeping that in mind as he is still a student and will appear for the exam. This is an academic ground, not a cricket ground. All the facilities, safety and security will be the same for all. The exams will start on February 17,” he added.
HOW DID VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI PLAY AT THE U19 WORLD CUP?
Sooryavanshi was the headliner of the 2026 U-19 World Cupwhich is one of the biggest final blows 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-getter 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 series.
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.
HOW GREAT WAS VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. After a breakout IPL 2025 season that began with him becoming the youngest ever player to get an IPL contract through a Rs 1.1 crore deal with Rajasthan Royals, the teenage batsman has only gone from strength to strength. He soon made even bigger headlines smashing an unbeaten 101 in just 38 balls against Gujarat Titans, became the youngest T20 centurion in history.
Since October 2024, records have been following him almost routinely. His 58-ball hundred against Australia Under-19 in Chennai became the fastest century by an Indian batsman in youth Tests. In U19 ODIs, he has already amassed 1,412 runs in 25 innings, at an average of over 56 with a strike rate of over 165, alongside four centuries and seven fifties.
The milestones came just as quickly in domestic cricket. In a 52-ball century, he became the youngest and fastest U19 centurion of all time. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy hundred made him the youngest centurion in the history of the tournament. Then came a mammoth 190 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, making him the youngest Indian to score a List A century.
Now, after conquering the world with the bat, Sooryavanshi’s next challenge is much more relatable, swapping roaring crowds for quiet exam halls where the only thing he’ll be chasing is a perfect answer sheet.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 14, 2026