Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smiles after PM Modi's praise at Delhi felicitation

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smiled after Prime Minister Narendra Modi singled out the 15-year-old during an address to the Indian Asian Games contingent in Delhi on Thursday following the country's 2026 Asian Games campaign. Sooryavanshi was among the athletes felicitated by Modi at the event.

Sooryavanshi has captured the imagination of the entire nation and it seems like Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also a fan of him. The 15-year-old cricketer was part of India's men's team that clinched the gold medal in Tokyo. During his address to the contingent, Modi highlighted how teenagers as young as 15 are winning medals for India, an observation that drew a smile from Sooryavanshi as he listened.

"This time in the Asian Games, there were many players on Team India whose age was only 15 to 17 years. At such a young age, these players have enhanced the pride of the country with their spectacular performances. They have won the hearts of the countrymen. This shows that for success, age is not a restriction. In sports, it is the start made at a young age that becomes an added advantage," said PM Modi.

A video of the moment circulated on social media and was shared in a tweet that read: "VAIBHAV SURYAVANSHI REACTION WHEN PM MODI PRAISED HIM - The entire Team India started teasing Vaibhav after PM Modi praised him. https://t.co/qUj7jT8o5p— Sam (@cricsam02) October 15, 2026".

During his address, PM Modi heaped praise on the contingent for bringing glory to the nation and made a special mention of the female athletes, who brought home most of the medals during the games.

"Therefore, it is our effort that in sports, the identification of talent should happen at a young age. For children between 5 and 15 years of age, we are especially focused on identifying sporting talent and its training. In the coming years, thousands of new players will get opportunities to advance through Khelo India and Emerging Khelo India," PM Modi added.