Father responds to age fraud allegations against IPL history's youngest buy 13 yr old Vaibhav
New Delhi (PTI): When Sanjiv Suryavanshi sold his farm land to fund his 10-year-old son Vaibhav's cricketing aspirations, little did he know that within three years the boy would be scripting history.
During the second and final day of the IPL mega auction in Jeddah, Vaibhav, at 13 years and eight months, became the youngest cricketer ever to be picked by a franchise as Rajasthan Royals bought him for Rs 1.10 crore.
Sanjiv, who owned farm land in his native Motipur village which is 15kms from Samastipur town in Bihar, was lost for words.
"Woh ab sirf humra bituwa nahi pura Bihar ka bituwa hai (He is not just my son now but entire Bihar's son)," Sanjiv told PTI over phone as his son is currently in Dubai for the U-19 Asia Cup.
"My son has worked hard. At the age of 8 years, he excelled at U-16 district trials. I would take him for his cricket coaching to Samastipur and then take him back," he recalled the days of hardships.
So were his finances in place as cricket is an investment?
"Not just investment, it's big investment. Aapko kya bataye humne toh apna zameen tak bech diya. Abhi bhi halat pura sudhra nahi (I have sold my land. Financial issues are still there)."
When asked about the controversies regarding Vaibhav's actual age which many believe is 15 years, the father was quick to clarify.
"When he was 8 and half years old he first appeared for BCCI bone test. He has already played India U-19. We don't fear anyone. He can again undergo age test," he sounded defiant.
Sanjiv said that Bihar Cricket Association president Rakesh Tiwary's "blessings" have always helped Vaibhav in his journey.
"Rakesh ji ka ashirwaad raha hai bahoot (Rakesh ji's blessings are there)."
His base price in the auction was Rs. 30 lakh and Delhi Capitals made the opening bid. RR entered the fray at Rs. 35 lakh and eventually got the better of DC to get the player on board.
So how did this bidding war happened?
"Rajasthan Royals had called him for trials in Nagpur. Vikram Rathour sir (batting coach) gave a match situation where he had to score 17 in an over. Bituwa ne 3 chakka mara. Trials mein aat chakka aur char chauwaa mara (He smashed three sixes. At trials, he hit eight sixes and four fours)," the father claimed proudly.
For a 13-year-old, it can be very difficult to understand what it means to earn a crore. So how does he plan to keep his young son away from monetary discussions?
"He just wants to play cricket and nothing else. A few years back he loved Doremon, not anymore," Sanjiv said.
BCA lauds selection
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BCA president Tiwary was all praise for the prodigy after his 1.10 crore bid for RR.
"Vaibhav Suryavanshi's incredible achievement at such a young age fills us with immense pride," Tiwary said in a statement.
"His journey from Bihar to the IPL is a reflection of his talent, hard work, and determination. The Bihar Cricket Association has always believed in nurturing young talent, and Vaibhav's success highlights the cricketing potential in our state.
"We are confident he will continue to shine and inspire aspiring cricketers across Bihar and beyond. I congratulate Vaibhav and his family."
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Trump warns he's considering limited strikes as Iranian diplomat says proposed deal is imminent
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump warned on Friday that limited strikes against Iran are possible even as the country's top diplomat said Tehran expects to have a proposed deal ready in the next few days following nuclear talks with the United States.
In response to a reporter's question on whether the US could take limited military action as the countries negotiate, Trump said, “I guess I can say I am considering that.” Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a TV interview that his country was planning to finalise a draft deal in “the next two to three days” to then send to Washington.
“I don't think it takes long, perhaps, in a matter of a week or so, we can start real, serious negotiations on the text and come to a conclusion,” Araghchi said on MSNOW's “Morning Joe” show.
The tensions between the longtime adversaries have ramped up as the Trump administration pushes for concessions from Iran and has built up the largest US military presence in the Middle East in decades, with more warships and aircraft on the way. Both countries have signalled that they are prepared for war if talks on Tehran's nuclear programme fizzle out.
“We are prepared for war, and we are prepared for peace,” Araghchi said Friday.
Trump said a day earlier that he believes 10 to 15 days is “enough time” for Iran to reach a deal following recent rounds of indirect negotiations, including this week in Geneva, that made little visible progress. But the talks have been deadlocked for years, and Iran has refused to discuss wider US and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups.
Araghchi also said Friday that his American counterparts have not asked for zero enrichment of uranium as part of the latest round of talks, which is in contradiction to what US officials have said.
"What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran's nuclear programme, including enrichment, is peaceful and will remain peaceful forever," he said.
He added that in return Iran will implement some confidence-building measures in exchange for relief on economic sanctions.
In response to Araghchi's claim, a White House official said Trump has been clear that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons or the capacity to build them and that it cannot enrich uranium. The official wasn't authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Tehran has long insisted that any negotiations should only focus on its nuclear programme and that it hasn't been enriching uranium since US and Israeli strikes last June on Iranian nuclear sites. Trump said at the time that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran's nuclear sites, but the exact damage is unknown as Tehran has barred international inspectors.
Iran has also insisted that its nuclear programme is peaceful. The US and others suspect it is aimed at eventually developing weapons.
