Vaibhav Suryavanshi: 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi played a key role in India's victory in the 2026 Under-19 World Cup. Due to his age, he could have remained eligible until the 2030 World Cup. However, due to a BCCI rule, he will not be able to participate in this tournament again.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi: 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history at the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, scoring 175 runs off 80 balls in the final, helping India win their sixth title. He is only the third Indian batsman to score a century in the final. As a result, Vaibhav Suryavanshi was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament, becoming the first player to win both awards simultaneously. However, surprisingly, Vaibhav will not be seen playing in the Under-19 World Cup again.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi will no longer be able to play in the U19 World Cup

Vaibhav Suryavanshi was born on March 27, 2011, meaning he was only 14 years old during the 2026 World Cup. Based on his age, he could have remained eligible until the 2030 World Cup. However, due to a strict BCCI rule, he will not be able to appear in the tournament again. This rule was implemented by the BCCI in 2016. The BCCI's Working Committee decided that players who have played in the Under-19 World Cup for India once cannot participate in another edition, even if they meet the age criteria. Furthermore, players entering the U19 system can only play U19 cricket for a maximum of two seasons.

This rule was specifically introduced to address the problem of overage players, which has been a major challenge in Indian cricket for many years. Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid also made age fraud a major issue in 2015. Before this rule, several players had played in two World Cups, such as Ravindra Jadeja (2006 and 2008), Vijay Zol (2012 and 2014), and 2016 squad members Avesh Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ricky Bhui (who also played in 2014).

Where will Vaibhav Suryavanshi be seen now?

Vaibhav Suryavanshi will now focus on the senior level, where he has already excelled in the IPL, domestic cricket, and India A. He could also become a part of the senior Indian team after turning 15. It's worth noting that the ICC established a minimum age policy for international cricket in 2020. According to this policy, any player who wishes to participate in international cricket must be at least 15 years old. As such, Vaibhav will turn 15 on March 27th of this year.

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