Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sacrifices Class 10th Board exams for IPL 2026, links up with Rajasthan Royals in Nagpur

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who currently resides in Tajpur, Bihar, is enrolled at the Modesty School.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the teen sensation who was at his brutal best in the U19 World Cup final against England earlier this month, won’t be sitting his Class 10 board exams. For days, there had been speculation over whether the 14-year-old could appear for the crucial exams. With much of 2025 spent on international tours representing India U19 and even India A, preparation time was always going to be scarce.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi won't be able to give his Class X board exams. (HT_PRINT)

Sooryavanshi, who resides in Tajpur, Bihar, is enrolled at Modesty School in Tajpur and was scheduled to appear for the crucial Class 10 board exams from February 17 to March 11. However, on Monday, the left-handed batter’s coach, Manish Ojha, confirmed that Sooryavanshi will be skipping his board exams as he is busy preparing for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

The youngster is expected to be a key part of the Rajasthan Royals line-up in IPL 2026 and has already begun preparing for the tournament, which is set to start on March 26.

"He won't be giving the Class X exams. He is currently in Nagpur, preparing for the upcoming IPL. He has already joined the Rajasthan Royals for a pre-season camp, Sooryavanshi's coach Manish Ojha confirmed to Hindustan Times on Monday afternoon.

Adarsh Kumar Pintu, director of Modesty School in Tajpur, said that Sooryavanshi’s examination form had been submitted and his admit card issued. The exam centre was allotted at Poddar International School. Sanjeev Sooryavanshi, Vaibhav’s father, also confirmed that his son’s focus remains on cricket and that he will not be able to sit the exams this year. However, he added that the youngster will make every effort to appear for them next year.

“Right now, Vaibhav's entire focus is on cricket; he is busy training, and he will not appear for the exams starting from February 17. He will appear for the board exams next year,” ETVBharat quoted Sanjeev Sooryavanshi as saying.

Sooryavanshi is the talk of the town

Ever since his stint with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL last year, Sooryavanshi has been the toast of the town. His breakout moment came against Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans, when he smashed a 35-ball century, the fastest by an Indian in the tournament’s history and the youngest ever. Sooryavanshi then toured England, Australia and South Africa with the India A squad for a multi-format youth series, scoring heavily and drawing comparisons with a young Sachin Tendulkar.

Sooryavanshi was subsequently picked in India’s squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup, where he scored a century in the opening match against the UAE. However, he endured a rare setback in the U19 Asia Cup final, failing to get going against Pakistan. The U19 World Cup, too, began quietly for the youngster. Although Sooryavanshi registered a couple of fifties, his true potential was unveiled in the final against England, where he hammered 175 off just 80 balls, including 15 fours and 15 sixes. The knock propelled India to 411, a total the Boys in Blue defended comfortably as England were bowled out for 311.

He was later named as an opening batter in the ICC’s Team of the Tournament.