Mumbai: 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s spectacular performance as a sensation for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has transformed his cricketing career, yet this success faces an emerging controversy because of his actual age. The young batter’s historic century brought him many accolades but received a divided opinion on social media when Vijender Singh posted an enigmatic tweet after his impressive performance.
Record-Breaking IPL Century
The T20 cricket world witnessed history when Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 101 runs against Gujarat Titans through 38 balls by making his century in only 35 balls. The teenage cricketer was 14 years and 32 days old when he achieved his century in T20 cricket, which became the second-fewest recorded in T20 history as well as the IPL. The exceptional batting performance from Vaibhav Suryavanshi earned him recognition as one of India’s promising cricket players for the future and brought praise because of his superior abilities and unmatched poise.
Age Fraud Allegations Spark Debate
Social media erupted with questions about Vaibhav’s reported 14-year-old status while he performed heroically on the field. The controversy grew because Vijender Singh used X (formerly Twitter) to ask whether cricket players were getting younger to play. The tweet posted by Vijender Singh did not explicitly mention Vaibhav, but due to occurring during the age debate, it made many people link it to the teen cricketer in question. When the post reached widespread popularity, it split fans into opposing groups which either deemed Vaibhav exceptional in cricket or doubted his age authenticity.
Father Defends Vaibhav’s Credentials
The father of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, named Sanjeev Suryavanshi, took a strong position to defend his son in the face of age fraud accusations. At age eight Vaibhav successfully completed his bone age test, which was monitored by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). BCCI authorised the test as the standard process for validating young player ages, and Sanjeev explained this procedure. Many cricket supporters and advocates stand behind Vaibhav because they place his talent above questioning his age.
Social Media is divided
Social media users have created opposing views about Vaibhav’s amazing accomplishment, while other users insist he should undergo more age verification tests. Through his tweet, Vijender Singh managed to elevate public discussion on this subject to major public attention. Vaibhav’s cricket success continues to shine while he faces off-field criticism because of excessive public scrutiny directed at young athletes.