New Delhi, Feb. 17 -- India's rising cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, fresh from his heroics in the 2026 U-19 World Cup, was marked absent from his Class 10 CBSE board examination at Podar International School on Tuesday. The 14-year-old left-handed opener chose to focus on his preparations for the upcoming IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals instead of appearing for the exam.

Notably, Sooryavanshi has joined the Rajasthan Royals' pre-season camp in Nagpur, gearing up for the IPL starting March 26. His coach and family have emphasized that cricket takes precedence right now, with plans to appear for the boards in the following year.

School principal NK Sinha confirmed the absence to ANI, explaining it followed standard CBSE rules...