Former Olympic medalist and celebrated boxer Vijender Singh has sparked a heated debate online with a pointed social media post targeting the age of rising cricket star Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
The controversy erupted just days after the 14-year-old cricketer smashed a stunning 35-ball century in an IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, propelling his name into national headlines.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Vijender raised eyebrows with a cryptic question:
“Bhai aaj kal umar choti ker ke cricket me bhe khelne lage (Have players started reducing their age in cricket too?)” he wrote, adding a thinking emoji.
The post immediately lit up the internet, with many interpreting it as a direct swipe at the legitimacy of Suryavanshi’s age.
Suryavanshi, who became the youngest IPL player to score a century, has already caught the attention of cricketing legends and fans alike for his explosive debut.
But even as accolades pour in, whispers of age manipulation have begun circulating on social media platforms.
Age fraud—falsifying one’s age to gain a competitive edge—is not a new concern in Indian sports. It remains a recurring issue, especially in junior-level tournaments.
Though there is no official evidence suggesting any wrongdoing in Suryavanshi’s case, the suspicion among some fans has been enough to reignite conversations about the integrity of age verification in cricket.
To combat such discrepancies, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has implemented stricter protocols in recent years. These include biometric verification and cross-checking school and birth records.
However, the skepticism continues.
For now, Vaibhav Suryavanshi remains a record-breaking teenager under the IPL spotlight. But with questions being raised by not just fans but national sports figures, the debate over his age—and what it says about the system—shows no signs of dying down.
