New Delhi: Long before batting sensation Vibhu Suryavanshi was born, his father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, inherited a piece of ancestral land in Bihar – not just a property, but a symbol of roots and memories. In most villages in India, land is more than an asset. No matter how difficult life gets, selling property, especially ancestral property, is not something many people go through with.But for Sanjeev Suryavanshi, nothing was more precious than his son’s dream, not even the land he had inherited from his ancestors.When Vaibhav’s cricket journey demands sacrifices, Sanjeev makes the toughest decision of his life. He sold his native land.Years have passed since that decision and today that dream is coming true.“Now everything has come up for him. The dream has come true. Now there is no need for land, money, rupees. We are very happy with the fact that the sky is getting, the name is being gained in the country and abroad. [Now everything has gone beyond that. The dream has come true. Land and money don’t matter anymore. The respect and recognition that he is getting in India and abroad make us very happy]was nominated last week,” Sanjeev told TimesofIndia.com.At just 15 years of age, Vibhu has already carved a niche for himself in Indian cricket. He is an IPL superstar, a key architect of India’s U-19 World Cup victory in 2026, and now a member of the senior Indian team.
The teenage batting sensation was named in India’s squad for the T20I series against Ireland and England last week, becoming the youngest ever player to be selected for the Indian national team.The call-up comes on the back of a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign. Vaibhav won the Orange Cap and finished as the tournament’s leading run scorer with 776 runs. He scored one century and five fifties at an astonishing strike rate of 237.30. His phenomenal season also earned him five major awards – Emerging Player of the Season, Most Valuable Player, Orange Cap, Best Strike Rate of the Season and Most Sixes.For Sanjeev, however, numbers and awards are secondary. The ground may be gone, but it has been replaced by something far more precious – pride, respect, and the fulfillment of a father’s greatest dream: to see his son wear an India jersey.Vaibhu Suryavanshi – JourneyThis journey started when Vaibhav was only four years old. Sanjeev watched as his son struck the plastic ball with extraordinary timing and power. What started with plastic and tennis balls soon turned into professional coaching at an academy in Patna.The 90 km journey from Samastipur to Patna was tiring and expensive, but Sanjeev never let the challenges stand in his way. He even bought a car to take his son to training sessions on alternate days – a purchase made possible by proceeds from the sale of ancestral land.
Today, as he watches his son represent India, Sanjeev has no second thoughts about the sacrifice.“There is no regret. Whatever Vaibhav is achieving, it is far above all else [I have no regrets. Whatever Vaibhav is achieving is far greater than anything else]” he said.“The child has worked very hard since childhood. He worked hard for this game for the country. Today, he is used as a teacher. [The boy has worked very hard since childhood. He has worked with the dream of playing for the country. Today, he has got that opportunity]” he said.Nervous momentWith the buzz around his son’s India call-up, Sanjeev kept switching the television and flipping through the news channels.Butterflies, nervousness and sweaty palms were all there.But as soon as the news broke, it was all over – and followed by celebrations, tears of joy, queues of media, and relatives and neighbors arriving at Suryavanshi’s residence to congratulate the family.“Very happy, the whole family is happy, our village is happy. A poor country is happy. For us it is like a dream. [We are very happy. The entire family is happy. Our village is happy. The whole country is happy. For us, it feels like a dream]” said an excited Sanjeev.“Vaibhu was practicing in Sri Lanka when the news came. He called and said, ‘Papa, I just got to know about the selection. I will talk to you later.’ Everyone there was congratulating him,” the father said.
All eyes are on Vaibhav’s ‘Dream’ debut.With the IPL and the U-19 World Cup behind him, and the tour of India A, the big question now is whether Vibhu will make his India debut on the tour of Ireland or England.The young man now stands on the brink of history. If he is included in the playing XI, he will become India’s youngest international cricketer, breaking the record currently held by the legend. Sachin Tendulkar.Tendulkar made his India debut at the age of 16 years and 205 days during the 1989 tour of Pakistan. At just 15 years old, Suryavanshi now has the chance to rewrite history.Sanjeev and his family are now gearing up to witness the big day – their son’s possible UK debut.“Yes, we will go to UK. We have received documents from BCCI. We are going to UK,” said Sanjeev.“Records can be broken, records can be made, but this is just the beginning. We will pray to Allah that he continues to play well and reach this level,” he said.
