Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old sensation, has become the toast of the town after his recent heroics in the U19 World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The left-hander is within the top five of the Orange Cap leaderboard, and hence, one can understand the hysteria around him. However, no one expected Sooryavanshi’s name to come up during a media interaction held by Paris Olympics bronze medallist Manu Bhaker. Although the 24-year-old showed restraint and answered the query about Sooryavanshi, the internet has not taken kindly to an Olympic medallist being asked about a cricketer when there was no need for such a question.
The entire matter started when, during an event, Bhaker, being a young achiever herself, was asked about another youngster, Vaibhav. Speaking on the sidelines of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) 75th anniversary celebrations, Bhaker spoke about the importance of having a good head on one’s shoulder and also stressed the need for having a good mentor.
“I would say that if the mentorship is good, the company around him is good, and the people around him are good, then age is just a number. And there is no age for talent. Great things happen at 60; they happen at six. So if the people around him mentor him well and guide him properly, then I am sure he will be the next big star,” Bhaker told reporters at an event on Monday.
Bhaker, who won two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics – in the 10m pistol event and the 10m pistol mixed team – did not express any frustration when answering the question. However, the frustration of the internet on an Olympic medallist being quizzed about a cricketer is understandable. There are several reactions on social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), as netizens continue to express their anger and fury, claiming Bhaker was not respected enough.
The question about Sooryavanshi has once again led to allegations of favouritism for cricket in India, and people are talking about how other sports continue to be treated as second-class, with not enough respect.
Here are some of the social media reactions:
Euphoria around Sooryavanshi
Ever since Sooryavanshi made his IPL debut last year, the youngster has dominated the entire discourse. He announced himself on the biggest stage by hitting a 35-ball century last year against the Gujarat Titans. He also played U19 cricket for India for 1 year and capped it off with a 175-run knock in the final of the World Cup, helping India lift the title.
The left-hander has begun the IPL 2026 in style and has already registered 357 runs in eight matches, including two fifties and one century. Last week, he hit a century against Sunrisers Hyderabad, going past the three-figure mark off just 36 balls. This knock also led SRH captain Pat Cummins to praise Sooryavanshi, calling the youngster his “new favourite cricketer.”
Sooryavanshi was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.10 crore before the IPL 2025 season. The clamour is growing for the youngster to make his India debut, and there are chances of the young sensation getting a chance in the upcoming two-match T20I series against Ireland.