Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old cricketing prodigy from Bihar, has been awarded the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP), one of India's highest civilian honors for children aged 5-18. The award recognizes Vaibhav's exceptional achievements in sports. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the award to Vaibhav at a ceremony held in New Delhi. Following the ceremony, Suryavanshi is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is awarded annually to recognize outstanding contributions in various fields, including sports, bravery, innovation, science, social service, and culture. President Murmu highlighted the significance of the children's accomplishments, stating that their achievements inspire the entire country and contribute to India's global prominence.

Vaibhav's coach, Manish Ojha, confirmed that Vaibhav had to miss Bihar's Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Manipur to attend the award ceremony in Delhi. Due to his commitment to the award ceremony and subsequent preparations for the U19 World Cup, he will miss the remainder of the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament. He will join the India U19 team for preparatory matches for the U19 World Cup.

Vaibhav's selection for the award follows a string of remarkable performances. Most recently, he made headlines for his explosive innings of 190 runs off just 84 balls against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His innings included 16 fours and 15 sixes. During that record-breaking performance for Bihar, he also achieved the fastest 150 in List A cricket, reaching the milestone in just 59 balls, surpassing the previous record held by AB de Villiers. He also became the youngest player to score a century in List A cricket, at the age of 14 years and 272 days. His century came in a mere 36 balls, which is the third-fastest List A century by an Indian.

In the same match where Suryavanshi scored 190, the Bihar team achieved the highest total ever recorded in List A cricket, scoring 574/6. Sakibul Jani (128 not out from 40 balls) and Ayush Loharuka (116 from 56 balls) also contributed centuries to the record-breaking total.

Vaibhav had previously showcased his talent at the U19 Asia Cup, where he scored 171 against the United Arab Emirates. He also played for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he registered a 35 ball century against the Gujarat Titans.

While Suryavanshi's absence will be felt by the Bihar team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, his coach acknowledges the national recognition as a significant achievement. The PMRBP serves as both a reward for his hard work and a motivator for his future career.