'Ask him about her instead': Netizens slam media for asking Manu Bhaker about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

A query directed toward Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker regarding 15-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has ignited a firestorm on social media, with critics accusing journalists of overshadowing Olympic achievements with cricket-centric narratives.

Bhaker, 24, was attending the 75th anniversary celebrations of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Monday when she was asked to comment on the teenage batting sensation. The shooter, who made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics as the first Indian to secure two medals in a single Games—bronze in both the 10m pistol and 10m pistol mixed team events—offered a supportive response.

"I would say that if the mentorship is good, the company around him is good, and the people around are good, then age is just a number. And there is no age for talent," Bhaker told news agency ANI. "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."

Criticism of Media Priorities

The exchange prompted a sharp rebuke from several sporting figures and observers. Joy Bhattacharjya, a former team director for the Kolkata Knight Riders, argued on X that such questions diminish the status of Olympic sports.

"Folks, she is an Olympic medallist. To ask her what she thinks of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is unfair to her achievements and her sport," Bhattacharjya wrote. "Cricket, anyway, is the ruling passion of the country; your sports editors do not need another celebrity quote to spin a headline on Sooryavanshi. Optionally, next time ask Vaibhav Sooryavanshi about Manu Bhaker and see the looks you get."

Social media users echoed these sentiments, noting a perceived double standard where cricketers are seldom asked to provide commentary on emerging talents in shooting or other Olympic disciplines.

Another user posted, "Wait, What!????????? Olympics Medalist shooter Manu Bhaker was asked about Cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi What kind of the journalism is this? Was ever any cricketer asked about budding shooters??"

Sooryavanshi’s Rapid Ascent

The subject of the inquiry, Sooryavanshi, has maintained a prolific run of form since October 2024. The 15-year-old left-hander recently became the youngest player to reach 1,000 T20 runs and the first uncapped player to record two centuries in the Indian Premier League, including a recent hundred against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

In the current IPL season, Sooryavanshi has amassed 357 runs across eight innings, maintaining an average of 44.62 and a strike rate exceeding 234. His statistical dominance extends to the international stage; he was named Player of the Tournament at the recent U19 World Cup, where he finished as the second-highest run-scorer with 439 runs and a tournament-record 30 sixes.

Sooryavanshi also holds the record for the fastest century by an Indian in Youth Tests, having reached the milestone in 58 balls against Australia U19 in Chennai. He currently stands as India’s leading run-scorer in U19 One Day Internationals, with 1,412 runs and an average of 56.48 across 25 innings.