Vaibhav Suryavanshi Accused of Age Fraud by Junaid Khan Amid U-19 Asia Cup Heroics

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India's teenage cricket prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi has found himself at the center of an age-fraud controversy following his stellar performances in the recently concluded U-19 Asia Cup. Former Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan raised doubts about the 13-year-old's age, sparking widespread debate in the cricketing world.

Junaid posted a video of Suryavanshi's explosive semifinal knock against Sri Lanka on social media, questioning his age. "Can a 13-year-old kid really hit such a long six?" he captioned the clip.

The match-winning innings saw Suryavanshi score 67 runs off just 36 balls, including five sixes and five boundaries. He was named Player of the Match for his efforts, which propelled India to a seven-wicket victory.

Suryavanshi, India's joint-highest run-getter in the tournament alongside Ayush Mahtre, amassed 176 runs in five matches. His campaign included two half-centuries, with a blazing 76 not out against the UAE and the semifinal heroics against Sri Lanka.

However, he struggled in the final, managing only 9 runs as India lost to Bangladesh by 59 runs. The allegations of age fraud have been refuted by Suryavanshi's father, Sanjiv, who pointed to his son's BCCI-certified bone test conducted five years ago.

Speaking to PTI, Sanjiv said, "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." The controversy comes just weeks after Suryavanshi made history at the IPL 2025 Auction.

He became the youngest player ever to be sold. The 13-year-old was picked by Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.1 crore and will be mentored by cricketing legend Rahul Dravid, who recently rejoined the franchise as head coach.

Despite the swirling allegations, Suryavanshi remains focused on his cricketing journey. He is set to make his List A debut for Bihar in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and join a star-studded Rajasthan Royals lineup featuring Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jofra Archer in IPL 2025.