Not so long ago, cricket circles were a buzz with news of a 14-year-old phenomenon, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Becoming the youngest-ever player to make his IPL debut, Suryavanshi didn’t rest there he went on to become the youngest T20 centurion, creating history and making headlines around the world.
Emerging kid from Bihar
What made his achievement even more remarkable is where he comes from. Bihar hasn’t traditionally been known for producing top-level cricketers, but Suryavanshi’s rise is starting to change that perception. His impact is already being felt back home and nowhere more clearly than in the story of Ayan Raj, his childhood friend.
Ayan Raj’s Record-Breaking Knock
Just 13 years old, Ayan recently stunned everyone by making an unbeaten 327 runs in a 30-over game in the District Cricket League tournament in Muzaffarpur. Playing for Sanskriti Cricket Academy, Ayan hammered 63 boundaries 41 fours and 22 sixes, finishing his knock with an impressive strike rate of 244.02.
That equates to 296 of his 327 runs being scored in boundaries, a reflection of his attacking way of play something attributed to the influence of contemporary T20 cricket and role models such as Suryavanshi.
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Picked Up by a Friend
Ayan and Vaibhav were childhood friends who played cricket together. Now that Vaibhav is making waves at the top level, a fire has been lit under Ayan too. Talking about his childhood friend, Ayan said:
“Each time I speak with Vaibhav Bhai, I feel something different. We used to play with each other when we were kids. Today, he is a big name, and I’m walking along the same path.”
This type of inspiration is not uncommon in Indian cricket. For example, Tamil Nadu’s Sai Sudharsan recently revealed that watching Washington Sundar, barely two years his senior, make it big at a tender age inspired him to pursue his own dream.
A New Wave from Bihar?
With the talent of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayan Raj, Bihar could be witnessing a new phase in cricket. If youngsters keep getting their role models around them, the state could soon be the nursery for future cricket heroes.
