This 14yo is shattering cricket’s ‘youngest ever’ records — why is it causing controversy?

Source : ABC NEWS

The cricket world was set alight earlier this week after Indian prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi registered one of the fastest centuries in the history of the Indian Premier League.

Suryavanshi’s 35-ball century against the Gujarat Titans was second only to Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013.

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What made the century more special is the fact that Suryavanshi was just 14 years and 32 days of age at the time of his sparkling knock.

Suryavanshi smashed 11 sixes against an attack featuring Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan, all of whom have played international cricket.

Given Suryavanshi smashed the previous record of the IPL’s youngest centurion, Manish Pandey, at 19 years and 253 days in 2009 by over five years, there have been questions raised around the legitimacy of his age.

Here is what we know.

What is Suryavanshi’s listed age?

Suryavanshi’s current birth date is listed as March 27, 2011.

That would mean he was born less than a week before India won the 2011 World Cup by beating Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai.

He is currently listed as being 14 years and 34 days of age at the time of writing.

Where does Suryavanshi’s century rank in terms of age?

As previously mentioned, Suryavanshi is by far the youngest centurion in the history of the IPL, beating out Manish Pandey’s record from 2009.

He also quite comfortably clears the youngest centurion in the history of Test cricket, that being Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ashraful, who scored a ton against Sri Lanka at 17 years and 61 days of age in 2001.

Pakistani great Shahid Afridi is the youngest centurion in the history of one day cricket having famously scored a century against Sri Lanka at 16 years and 217 days of age in 1996.

Suryavanshi is the fourth-youngest centurion in domestic cricket. That record sits with Pakistan’s Mohammad Akram, who scored 111 while playing for Khairpur in a first-class match in 1968 at just 12 years and 217 days of age.

Why is there controversy surrounding his age?

Any time something extraordinary happens on a sporting field, there are naturally sceptics around. In this case, seeing a 14-year-old blast seasoned international cricketers around the park is not normal.

There have been a number of previous instances in cricket where ‘youngest ever’ claims have been shrouded in controversy.

Pakistan’s Hasan Raza made headlines when he made his Test debut at 14 years and 227 days in 1996. Raza was thought to be the youngest debutant in Test history, but the Pakistan Cricket Board later withdrew the claim for Raza’s record after medical tests raised doubts about his actual birth date.

Suryavanshi sceptics have also pointed to an interview he did with BNN News Benipatti in 2023. The interview is posted on YouTube and the title of it suggests Suryavanshi was 14 years old at the time of the interview.

In the interview, he is asked how old he is and he tells the interviewer, “I’ll turn 15 on September 27th”. This is controversial on two counts. One, because it would mean he is not currently 14 years old, but is rather 16 going on 17, and two, because September 27th is not what his official birth date is currently listed as.

How is it possible to have two different birth dates?

Suryavanshi was born in Samastipur, a small district in Bihar, which is stationed in the far north-east corner of India near the country’s border with Nepal.

Birth certificates in India are dealt according to The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969.

It is mandatory for every birth or stillbirth to be registered with the concerned state within 21 days of its occurrence. To apply for a birth certificate, the birth must first be registered by filling up a form prescribed by the registrar of the concerned local authority.

According to the Section 13 of the Act, it is possible to have a delayed registration of a birth.

Section 13.1 states, “Any birth or death of which information is given to the Registrar after the expiry of the period specified therefor, but within thirty days of its occurrence, shall be registered on payment of such late fee as may be prescribed”.

Section 13.2 states, “Any birth or death of which delayed information is given to the Registrar after thirty days but within one year of its occurrence shall be registered only with the written permission of the prescribed authority and on payment of the prescribed fee and the production of an affidavit made before a notary public or any other officer authorised in this behalf by the State Government”.

Section 13.3 states, “Any birth or death which has not been registered within one year of its occurrence, shall be registered only on an order made by a magistrate of the first class or a Presidency Magistrate after verifying the correctness of the birth or death and on payment of the prescribed fee”.

What has Suryavanshi’s family said about his age?

Suryavanshi’s father, Sanjiv, who was his first ever coach has strongly defended his son’s age in a previous interview with Press Trust of India (PTI).

“When he was eight-and-a-half-years old, he first appeared for a BCCI bone test,” he said.

“He has already played [for] India under-19s. We don’t fear anyone. He can again undergo an age test.

“My son has worked hard. At the age of eight years, he excelled at under-16 district trials. I would take him for his cricket coaching to Samastipur and then take him back.”

There is no indication at this stage that Suryavanshi will be required to undergo any further age tests.

When will Suryavanshi make his debut for India?

If Suryavanshi continues the form he’s shown in the IPL, it won’t be too long until he’s representing his country.

The left-hander has already made his debut at the first-class level and at the list A level, but has not had the same amount of success.

India’s youngest ever T20 debutant is currently Washington Sundar, who was just 18 years and 80 days old when he made his debut against Sri Lanka in 2017. It is likely Suryavanshi beats this record by some distance.

He will find it tougher to become India’s youngest ever one day and Test player, with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar holding both records.

Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days old when he made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1989 and 16 years and 238 days old when he made his one day debut against the same opponent roughly a month later.