Vaibhav Suryavanshi will no longer be able to play U19 World Cup. (Photo- GETTY)
Vaibhav Suryavanshi: 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi created history in the Under-19 World Cup 2026, where he played an important role in helping India win its sixth title by scoring 175 runs in 80 balls in the final. He is only the third batsman from India to score a century in the final. Due to which Vaibhav Suryavanshi was also chosen player of the match. The player of the tournament was also Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He became the first player to win both these awards simultaneously. But the surprising thing is that Vaibhav will not be seen playing again in the Under-19 World Cup.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi will no longer be able to play U19 World Cup
Vaibhav Suryavanshi was born on 27 March 2011, that is, during the 2026 World Cup, he was only 14 years old. In terms of age, he could have remained eligible till 2030 World Cup. But due to a strict rule of BCCI, he will not be seen again in the tournament. This rule was implemented by BCCI in 2016. The BCCI Working Committee had decided that players who have once played for India in the Under-19 World Cup cannot participate in any other edition despite fulfilling the age criteria. Also, players entering the U19 system can play U19 cricket for a maximum of two seasons only.
This rule was brought specifically to eliminate the problem of overage players, which has been a big challenge in Indian cricket for many years. Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid had also made age fraud a big issue in 2015. Before this rule, many players had played in two World Cups, such as Ravindra Jadeja (2006 and 2008), Vijay Jol (2012 and 2014), and 2016 squad members Avesh Khan, Sarfaraz Khan and Ricky Bhui (also played in 2014).
Where will Vaibhav Suryavanshi be seen now?
Vaibhav Suryavanshi will now focus on senior level. Where he has already shown shine in IPL, domestic cricket and India A. At the same time, after the age of 15, he can also become a part of the senior team India. Let us tell you, ICC had made the minimum age policy for international cricket in the year 2020. According to this policy, any player who wants to participate in international cricket must be at least 15 years old. In such a situation, Vaibhav will turn 15 on March 27 this year.