India’s teen batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who recently played a pivotal role in the nation’s Under-19 cricket World Cup triumph earlier this month, will not sit for his Class 10 board examinations this year. Speculation had been rife over whether the 14-year-old would be able to appear for the crucial exams, but his commitments on the cricket field have ultimately taken precedence.
Having spent much of 2025 on international tours representing India Under-19 and even India A, Sooryavanshi has had limited time to prepare academically. The left-handed batter, a resident of Tajpur in Bihar, is enrolled at Modesty School in Tajpur and was scheduled to sit for his Class 10 board examinations from 17 February to 11 March.
However, his coach Manish Ojha has confirmed that the youngster would be skipping the examinations in order to focus on preparations for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. Sooryavanshi is expected to play a key role for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 after a remarkable debut in 2025 and has already joined the franchise’s pre-season camp.
“He won’t be giving the Class X exams. He is currently in Nagpur preparing for the upcoming IPL. He has already joined Rajasthan Royals for a pre-season camp,” Ojha told media.
Earlier, Neel Kishore, principal of Podar International School in Samastipur — Sooryavanshi's examination centre — had confirmed his appearance for the board exams and clarified that there would be no special treatment despite his newfound stardom. However, the young cricketer will not be taking the tests this year.
Sooryavanshi was the headline act of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026, producing one of the greatest final knocks the tournament has seen. His 175 off just 80 balls against England was a fearless assault, filled with 15 fours and 15 sixes, the most maximums ever hit in a single U19 World Cup innings.
He finished the competition as the second-highest run-getter with 439 runs in seven matches at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate close to 170. With a century and three fifties, he was the driving force behind India’s title run and was deservedly adjudged Player of the Match in the final as well as the Player of the Tournament.
His six-hitting was just as staggering. Sooryavanshi smashed 30 sixes across the tournament, breaking Dewald Brevis’ previous record of 18 by a huge margin, and now holds the record for the most sixes in U19 World Cup history.
