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Young India prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi rose to fame after he was picked up by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals for a sum of INR 1.1 Crore at the mega auction last month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The young Indian batter soon after getting an IPL contract was embroilded in age-related controversy.
However, several claimed that he cannot be 13 years and feature in the IPL at such a young age, Pakistan cricketer Junaid Khan is the latest to join in. The India Under-19 star, who recently featured in the U-19 Asia Cup in the UAE, was once again in debate with the Pakistani cricketer questioning the authencity of his age.
Can a 13-year-old really hit a long six?: Junaid Khan accuses Suryavanshi of age fraud
Junaid, who has represented Pakistan in 22 Tests, 76 ODIs, and 9 T20Is, intensified the controversy by posting a clip of Vaibhav’s innings on social media and captioned it, "Can a 13-year-old kid really hit such a long six?" These remarks by Khan came after the 13-year-old prodigy had an extraordinary performances in the semifinal and a match prior to that in the Asia Cup.
Notably, Vaibhav played a sensational knock against Sri Lanka, scoring 67 off just 36 balls with his innings being laced with five fours and as many maximums. With this knock, he not only became the joint top-scorer in the tournament but also helped the Men in Blue progress into the final.
Speaking of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s age-fraud claims, his father Sanjiv has time and again refuted these rumours. He had even pointed out that his son’s bone test was conducted five years ago by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). "When he was 8 and half years old, he first appeared for a BCCI bone test. He has already played for India U-19. We don't fear anyone. He can again undergo an age test,” Sanjiv Suryavanshi had informed PTI after the young cricketer was roped in by RR in IPL mega auction.
