Other than stunning the world for the sheer audacity it was crafted with, the century by Vaibhav Suryavanshi was a screaming statement from Bihar. After the political and geographical division of the erstwhile state into two — Bihar and Jharkhand — in 2000, and the BCCI’s move to recognise the state unit of the latter instead of the former in 2004, cricket in Bihar came close to a grinding halt.
For years, scuffles between bodies claiming to be the legally verified custodians of cricket in the state made headlines. At BCCI meetings, self-proclaimed officials of several entities turned up, saying that they were the bonafide representatives of the state. There was heavyweight political interference as well. Consequently, the most recognised cricket face of Bihar became Aditya Verma — secretary of the unrecognised Cricket Association of Bihar — who fought court cases against the BCCI after the IPL spot-fixing and betting scam in 2013.
It’s premature to say that everything will undergo a 360-degree change in a matter of 35 balls — taken by Suryavanshi to register the second-fastest IPL century ever, while playing for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur on a manic Monday. But, it should and might bring Bihar back in the cricket map for cricketing reasons. When cricketers from the backwaters were fast-tracking into stars, those from Bihar were fading out. There was no place or platform for them to make a mark, forget prosper. The Suryavanshi explosion might change that.
The trend on social media – ‘what were you doing doing at 14’ – is nauseating. To make your child the next Vaibhav can’t be a quest. Chances are the quest will go badly wrong.#vaibhavsuryavanshi @rajasthanroyals #IPL2025 #RRvGT @BoriaMajumdar writes.https://t.co/zb00SfQYzz
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) April 29, 2025
“I think it will awaken the authorities in Bihar (cricket administration),” said Syed Saba Karim. Speaking to RevSportz, the former India wicketkeeper-batter who hails from Bihar, added: “This might help in putting things in place in terms of infrastructure. There is this example of this boy (Suryavanshi) and this may open up new vistas for many more kids. The authorities can see that a lot more can be done when it comes to providing opportunities and facilities for them.”
Saba used to play for the undivided Bihar. He shifted to Bengal and made it to the Indian team. Former fast bowler and current selector Subroto Banerjee had done the same. Before them, fast bowler Randhir Singh got selected for India playing for Bihar. Hari Gidwani was a prolific batter and Avinash Kumar a left-arm spinner of repute from the state. Even MS Dhoni made his first-class debut for Bihar. It was not exactly a hotbed of talent, but a region with a fair amount of cricketing tradition.
That had disappeared very fast, in two decades or less. Cricketers from Bihar had become persona non grata. The state unit had no locus standi. Aspiring players had to shift base to Jharkhand. There were cricketers emerging from every corner of the country. Some of these places were not into cricket not long ago. Bihar got left behind. They were making news for wrong reasons. This thunderbolt of a century by the 14-year-old has the potential to change that.
Remember the name, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. A star is born.@BoriaMajumdar writes #RRvGT #IPL2025 https://t.co/91OHcg4Two
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) April 28, 2025
“For about three-four years, there is an elected cricket association from Bihar in place,” noted Saba, who also served as a national selector and a Director (Cricket Operations) of the BCCI. “There is a lot for them to do. There are 25-plus districts. They should have training facilities in each of those. Suryavanshi had to travel from Samastipur to Patna. In our days, most of us had to go to Patna to train in proper conditions. That has to change. The state association should start taking steps in having its own stadium, like other states have.”
Praising the youngster for his energy to work hard, his technique and ability to unleash extraordinary power against pace and spin at this age, Saba also lauded the junior-level selectors of Bihar who picked him for the state under-19 team, which led to his inclusion in the India U-19 side and brought him in national limelight. “It’s been about two decades almost that nobody has risen through the ranks in Bihar. The rise of this boy can awaken people and prompt them to think of ways to take this forward,” said Saba, who is a commentator in the ongoing IPL.
Suryavanshi’s century is not just a jaw-dropping performance from a young player, who promises more. It’s also an injection of life in cricket in a region it was dying. Not exactly a steady supplier of talent, it was never the non-entity it had become after 2004. Although Bihar and some other states were included in the national fold following a Supreme Court order in 2018, cricketers from the state remained obscure. This sledgehammer of a knock in this top-tier event under global spotlight promises a change, probably somewhat like the one that happened in its adjoining state.