Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi is set to miss the remainder of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, a development that has been confirmed by his childhood coach Manish Ojha. The 14 year old left handed batter made national headlines after producing a breathtaking knock of 190 runs for Bihar in their opening match against Arunachal Pradesh.
That extraordinary innings played a crucial role in Bihar registering the highest List A total in history, as they piled up a massive 574 for 6 to kick off their campaign on a dominant note.
Suryavanshi absent from Round 2
Suryavanshi’s absence from Bihar’s playing eleven in the second round clash against Manipur raised several questions. The youngster did not feature in the match due to his presence in New Delhi, where he was scheduled to attend the Prime Minister’s National Children’s Award ceremony. He is set to be recognised for his achievements, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expected to attend the ceremony and interact with the award recipients.
However, Manish Ojha has now clarified that Suryavanshi’s absence is not limited to just one game. According to the coach, the prodigious batter will not take part in the remainder of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“Vaibhav won’t play today’s match because he is in Delhi to attend the Prime Minister’s National Children’s Award ceremony. He will be honoured at the ceremony. He had to report at 7 AM for the ceremony,” Ojha told Hindustan Times.
Ojha further explained that Suryavanshi’s focus will now shift towards international commitments at the junior level.
“He will miss the remainder of the Vijay Hazare Trophy because he has to get in sync for the U19 World Cup and hence will link up with the rest of the Indian team for preparatory matches,” he added.
Major setback for Bihar
Suryavanshi’s unavailability comes as a significant blow for Bihar, given his importance to the side. The youngster has emerged as the backbone of their batting lineup, and his absence is expected to leave a noticeable gap. Without their star batter, Bihar’s chances of progressing to the latter stages of the tournament could be severely affected, and it remains to be seen how the team copes without him.
Meanwhile, Suryavanshi has also been making waves on the international stage at the junior level. He recently produced a sensational innings of 171 for India Under 19 during the Under 19 Asia Cup against the UAE. However, he was unable to replicate that form in the remaining matches, as India eventually suffered a loss to Pakistan in the final.
Despite those setbacks, Suryavanshi’s talent and performances have firmly established him as one of the brightest young prospects in Indian cricket. While he has impressed consistently at the age group level, the young batter still has a long journey ahead before earning his maiden call up to the senior Indian team.
