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Vaibhav, a left-handed opening batsman, was busy preparing for his first appearance in Ranji TrophyHis teammates and veteran players constantly encouraged him, boosting his confidence to overcome debut nerves.
The match was against the mighty Mumbai, and 12-year-old Vaibhav almost reminded everyone of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who was 15 when he made his debut. Former India all-rounder Yuvraj (15 years and 57 days) was younger than Sachin (15 years and 230 days) when he made his first-class debut.
In the modern era, Yuvraj holds the record of being the youngest first-class cricketer, Vaibhav (12 years and 284 days) surpassed him by a huge margin.
Overall, Alimuddin holds the record for the youngest Indian first-class debutant at just 12 years and 73 days in the 1942-43 season. Hailing from Ajmer, Alimuddin represented Rajputana in the semi-final of the Ranji Trophy.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Ajmer-born SK Bose made his mark in 1959-60 by making his debut for Bihar at the age of 12 years and 76 days. In October 1937, Mohammad Ramzan earned his place in history by making his debut at the age of 12 years and 247 days, representing North India in the Ranji Trophy.
In his first outing, Vaibhav, who is overall the fourth-youngest Indian to make his first-class debut, scored 19 and 12 runs.
“I didn’t know anything about this record. When I returned to the locker room after getting out in the first innings, my teammates gave me this news. They said that the record was held by the greats Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh. I was very happy to know that now I can see my name next to them,” Vaibhav told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
“It’s something very important for me. I felt good when I got my international debut. I was nervous, but my superiors, my teammates and the management showed confidence in me. The moment I arrived at the area, the entire locker room applauded. After facing In the first ball everything was normal and I calmed down,” Vaibhav said.
PATH TO THE SENIOR TEAM
Vaibhav grew up sending bowlers for leather in various local tournaments in Bihar.
In the Heman Trophy, an inter-district tournament, Vaibhav emerged as Bihar’s top scorer, amassing approximately 800 runs in eight matches, outshining even experienced players from the state.
Continuing his stellar form, Vaibhav excelled in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, amassing over 400 runs in just five matches.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
His performance in the Challengers Trophy (U19) further solidified his reputation as a promising talent. In the Foursquare Trophy, Vaibhav’s contributions were notable, with scores of 53, 76, 41, 0 and 12.
Impressing the selectors at the under-23 camp, Vaibhav’s consistent show earned him a coveted call-up to the Ranji Trophy team.
“Many seniors and teammates backed me for my performance. My president Mr. Rakesh Tiwari helped me a lot and fulfilled my basic needs in cricket. He asked me to perform and get a place in the Ranji Trophy team. I was really elated to see my name on the list. Now my house is full of guests most of the time. People come, visit my house and congratulate my parents. My parents are very happy and wherever I am today, it is thanks to my parents. They have sacrificed a lot for me,” said the young man.
A FARMER’S SON CHASING A ‘BIG’ DREAM
Vaibhav was just 4 years old when his father Sanjeev Suryavanshi saw him playing with a plastic ball and hitting it with sheer power. Sanjeev, after leaving the field, used to take a few shots under the armpits of his son and play with him.
Eventually, he built a small play area in his backyard where his son could practice.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
“When I was a kid I was into sports. My dad is a farmer. He built me a little playground. I practiced there. There were some kids in my neighborhood. My dad used to call them and ask them to bowl. “That’s how it all started. He used to say ‘bat-ball khelega, cricketer banega na (you will play with bat and ball, you will become a cricketer, right)? He had confidence in me,” Vaibhav recalled.
“After playing for 4-5 years, my father took me to the city of Samastipur, where he enrolled me in a cricket academy. Brijesh sir trained me there. After practicing for two and a half years there, I gave Under -16. trials for Vijay Merchant trophy. I was on hold due to my age. By the grace of God, I started training with Mr. Manish Ojha, a former Ranji player. He has taught me a lot and whatever today, it’s because of him,” said the young man.
INSPIRED BY BRIAN LARA
Vaibhav, a left-handed batsman, takes inspiration from West Indies legend Brian Lara.
He has a collection of Lara videos with him and watched Lara’s match-winning knocks, especially the veteran’s 400 unbeaten against England in Antigua in 2004.
“My idol is Brian Lara. I watch his videos and his hitting style. I love his 400 innings with no outs. I’ve seen him several times. The best thing I like about him is that he doesn’t leave the game in the middle. “I don’t know yield. I have seen the winning attitude in him and this is the most important thing I want to learn from him. I love the way he used to take the match till the end and then win.” “I want to dominate the players like Lara did,” said an elated Vaibhav.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
“I am young and I have a long way to go. I will take it one step at a time because I am a young cricketer. I am learning as much as I can,” he said.
He hopes to get a chance to meet his childhood hero and inspiration whenever he comes to India or during the Indian Premier League.
“(On meeting him) First I will pinch myself if he is a real Brian Lara (laughs). I will take his blessings and ask him a lot of questions about batting, mental strength and longevity. It will be a dream come true.” Vaibhav signed off.
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