Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, calling him the ‘son of Bihar’ and a shining example of what dedication and consistent competition can achieve. Modi’s remarks came during his video address at the inauguration of the 7th Khelo India Youth Games, held in Patna, Bihar.
Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old from Samastipur, Bihar, recently made headlines with a memorable performance for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, smashing a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium. At just 14 years and 32 days old, he became the youngest player ever to score a T20 century, finishing with 101 runs off 38 balls, including 7 boundaries and 11 sixes. His innings, at an impressive strike rate of 265.79, played a crucial role in a successful 210-run chase.
‘Applauding Suryavanshi’s performance, PM Narendra Modi said, “I have seen in the IPL, the son of Bihar, Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s spectacular performance. At such a young age, Vaibhav has set such a great record. There is a lot of hard work behind Vaibhav’s performance,” Modi said in his address.
‘The more you play, the more you will shine’
“To bring his talent to the forefront, he has played many matches at different levels. The more you play, the more you will shine. Competing in matches and competitions as much as possible is very important. The NDA government has always given it the highest priority in its policies,” he added.
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Modi emphasised the value of regular competition in nurturing sporting excellence. “The more you play, the more you shine — ‘jo jitna khelega, wo utna khilega’. Vaibhav’s journey is proof of this,” he noted, encouraging youth to train diligently and seize every opportunity to compete.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the central government’s commitment to promoting sports, pointing to initiatives like the inclusion of traditional disciplines such as Gatka, Kho-Kho, Malkhamb, and Yogasana in the Khelo India Youth Games. He said that expanding India’s sporting base will also strengthen the nation’s ‘soft power’.
“The government’s focus is on giving our athletes the opportunity to play new sports. That is why the Khelo India Youth Games included Gatka, Kho-kho, Malkhambh and Yogasana. In recent days, our athletes have performed very well in many new sports like Wushu, Lawn Balls, Roller Skating.” Modi said sports holds a significant place in his government’s policy making.”