From Vaibhav Sooryavanshi To Vasudev Prasad: Bihar's Cricket Factory Is Booming
While 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has grabbed headlines with his performances for India, another youngster from the state of Bihar has earned a major opportunity.
Bihar's rise as a producer of cricketing talent continues. While 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has grabbed headlines with his performances for India, another youngster from the state has earned a major opportunity. Fast bowler Vasudev Prasad has been selected for the MRF Pace Foundation's exchange programme with Cricket Australia and is currently training in Australia.
Vaibhav's Success Has Brought Bihar Into Focus
During India's recent tour of Zimbabwe, a group of fans from Bihar waited outside the Harare Sports Club to meet Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Some said they were from Patna, Samastipur and even Vaibhav's maternal grandmother's village. The teenager greeted them, signed autographs and posed for photographs.
The scenes have become familiar since Vaibhav's IPL breakthrough and have continued during India's tours of Ireland, England and Zimbabwe.
In Harare, Vaibhav created another record. At 15 years and 118 days, he scored his maiden international half-century off just 18 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes. He became the youngest Indian to score an international fifty, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's 37-year-old record. Tendulkar was 16 years and 213 days when he scored his first international half-century against Pakistan in Faisalabad.
Bihar Continues To Produce Cricketers
Vaibhav is part of a growing list of cricketers from Bihar making an impact.
India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is from Patna. Fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar and Saqib Hussain are from Gopalganj, while Akash Deep comes from Sasaram. Mohammad Izhar from Supaul is another promising player from the state.
Now, Vasudev Prasad has joined that list of emerging names.
Vasudev Prasad Selected For Australia Programme
Vasudev, who is from Muzaffarpur, has represented Bihar at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-23 levels.
Speaking to NDTV, Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Harshvardhan Tiwary said:
"Bihar is fast becoming a nursery for pace bowlers. Our talented fast bowler Vasudev Prasad has been selected by the renowned MRF Pace Foundation for an advanced training programme in Australia."
Tiwary said the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai runs an exchange programme with Cricket Australia, under which selected Indian fast bowlers receive specialised coaching in Australia.
"Vasudev is among the Indian bowlers chosen for this prestigious high-performance programme and is currently training alongside some of Cricket Australia's best pace bowlers."
'He Can Play At The Highest Level'
Tiwary said Vasudev has the potential to reach the top level.
"You will see Vasudev playing on the biggest stages in the coming years. Bihar continues to produce outstanding pace bowlers. Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar have already established themselves in the Indian team, and several more talented players from the state are now progressing to the top level."
Calling it a proud moment for Bihar cricket, Tiwary said Vasudev's selection for the MRF Pace Foundation's elite programme in Australia was another important step for the state's fast-bowling talent.