Bihar CM Nitish Kumar shares pictures of meeting Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in 2024; announces cash prize after IPL 2025 century

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar hailed Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his heroics against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2025 game on Monday, April 28, in Jaipur. Kumar shared pictures on his official handle of meeting the teenage prodigy last year on X (formerly Twitter) and announced a reward of ₹10 lakh.

Sooryavanshi stood out on his IPL debut, scoring a six off the first ball he faced and smashing a 20-ball 34 against Lucknow Super Giants. However, the left-handed batter took batsmanship to a new level against the Gujarat Titans, shattering multiple records during his 38-ball 101.

Sooryavanshi, who is just 14 years of age, became the youngest cricketer in IPL history to score a half-century and a century. He also scored the quickest ton by an Indian in the T20 league.

Writing on X, Nitish said he congratulated Sooryavanshi over the phone and hoped to see him bring more laurels for the country after his latest exploits. The veteran politician stated:

“Congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Bihar, who became the youngest player (14 years) to score a century in the history of IPL. He has become a new hope for Indian cricket on the strength of his hard work and talent. Everyone is proud of him. I met Mr. Vaibhav Suryavanshi and his father in 2024 at 1 Anne Marg and at that time I wished him a bright future.

“After his brilliant performance in IPL, I also congratulated him over the phone. Mr. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a young cricketer from Bihar, will also be given an honorarium of Rs 10 lakh by the state government. I wish that Vaibhav creates new records for the Indian team in the future and brings glory to the country.”

Here’s Nitish Kumar’s post:

The left-hander shared a partnership of 166 runs with Yashasvi Jaiswal in only 11.5 overs, with the Royals chasing 210. RR eventually beat the Titans by eight wickets with 25 balls to spare.

“It’s unprecedented, 14 years old” – Ian Bishop on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Ex-West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop warned that Sooryavanshi will need close guidance from his parents and coaches over the next few years to ensure he is on the right path. He believes the latest exploits have put Sooryavanshi massively under the scanner. Bishop said on ESPN Cricinfo Timeout:

“It’s unprecedented, 14 years old. This is new territory. This is new territory for Rahul. This is going to be new territory for the parents. The scrutiny on him when he plays the next game, and if he doesn’t score any runs, you know, there are going to be detractors out there. His parents are going to have to be so close to him, and hopefully – I am sure they are great parents – you’ve got to surround this kid with proper people for the next five years to ensure this high that he’s got so early in his career, there isn’t a drop.”

The Royals have kept themselves alive in IPL 2025 with their third win of the season. They also need other results to go their way to stand a chance of making it to the playoffs.