Just days after a historic campaign in Zimbabwe, 14-year-old cricketing prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi is swapping his bat for a pen. The young sensation, who played a monumental role in India clinching its sixth ICC Under-19 World Cup title on February 6, 2026, has returned to his hometown in Bihar to appear for his Class 10 board examinations.
The principal of Podar International School, Samastipur, Neel Kishore, confirmed that the star cricketer has received his admit card and will sit for the exams alongside his peers starting February 17, 2026. Despite his international fame and a multi-crore IPL contract, the school authorities have made it clear that Vaibhav will receive no special treatment. “This is an academic pitch, not a cricket pitch,” the principal noted, emphasizing that the environment will remain strictly standardized for all students.
A Record-Breaking Season
Vaibhav’s “academic test” comes on the heels of an extraordinary run on the field:
- U19 World Cup Final: He smashed a record-breaking 175 off just 80 balls against England, featuring 15 fours and 15 sixes—the highest individual score ever in a U19 World Cup final.
- Tournament Stats: He finished the tournament as the second-highest run-getter with 439 runs and set a new world record for the most sixes (30) in a single edition.
- IPL Stardom: Earlier in the 2025 IPL season, representing Rajasthan Royals, he became the youngest player to score an IPL century (101 off 38 balls).
- Domestic Glory: He holds the record for the fastest List A century by an Indian (36 balls) and the youngest centurion in Ranji Trophy history.
With the IPL 2026 season reportedly set to begin in late March, Vaibhav faces a tight schedule as he balances the pressure of board exams with the expectations of being one of the world’s most exciting young talents.