It is a real letdown when the achievements of someone like Manu Bhaker get pushed into the background at a recent event, where the spotlight briefly shifted to young cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Bhaker, who was there as a prominent guest, was asked about Sooryavanshi even though there was no real connection between their two sporting paths. In a country where cricket usually takes over the room, moments like this just show the imbalance in how we recognise success across different sports.
Cricket’s popularity in India is unmatched, but Olympic excellence needs the same level of respect. Bhaker’s feat of winning multiple medals at a single Olympics isn’t just rare, it’s a true benchmark of composure at the highest level.
The context made the moment more jarring. At the National Rifle Association of India’s 75th anniversary celebrations, an occasion meant to honour shooting and its champions, the focus drifted away from the sport itself. While cross-sport references are not unusual, timing plays a key role in how appropriate they feel. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may be generating headlines and attention, but his career is still at a very early stage, whereas Manu Bhaker has already delivered proven success at the highest level on the Olympic stage.
Sooryavanshi first shot into the spotlight during last year’s IPL, where, as a 14-year-old, he took on established bowlers with remarkable ease and stunned everyone with a 35-ball century, the second fastest in the tournament’s history. His rise gathered further momentum when he was picked for India’s U-19 World Cup squad. In the final, he delivered a performance for the ages, smashing a record 175 off 80 balls against England to power India to the 2026 title.
Since then, he has carried that fearless approach into the ongoing IPL, redefining attacking batting at such a young age. Now 15, he has shown no hesitation in taking on the very best, dispatching bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pat Cummins with authority. It is no surprise he has become the talk of the town.
Yet, even with all the hype around him, bringing him into the conversation while addressing an accomplished Olympic medallist like Bhaker felt misplaced and unnecessary.
Bhaker has firmly established herself as one of India’s finest Olympians after a landmark campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024, etching her name into the country’s shooting history. She kept her composure under pressure to win bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event, becoming the first Indian woman to secure an Olympic medal in shooting and ending a 12-year wait since the 2012 London Olympics. She then added another chapter by pairing up with Sarabjot Singh to clinch bronze in the 10m mixed team air pistol, beating South Korea 16-10. With that, she became the first athlete from independent India to win multiple medals at a single Olympics, while also helping the country claim its first-ever shooting team medal at the Games.
The ace shooter drew widespread praise for her achievements in Paris, but within days, the narrative took an unfortunate turn. The tendency to sensationalise moments is hardly new in India, where social media often magnifies trivial details and strips them of context. Bhaker found herself at the centre of such a storm after a couple of clips from the Paris Olympics 2024 went viral, sparking baseless link-up rumours with Neeraj Chopra.
In one clip, the two medallists were seen having a brief conversation during an event organised by the Indian contingent. In another, Bhaker’s mother was seen exchanging a few words with Chopra. Harmless interactions were quickly blown out of proportion, with sections of social media fuelling speculation and “shipping” the two athletes.
A champion out of focus
What followed was disappointing. The noise grew so loud that Bhaker and her family were asked questions about the social media rumours at public events meant to celebrate her Olympic success. Instead of focusing on her performance and achievements, the conversation drifted into unfounded rumours, diverting attention from a remarkable sporting milestone.
By 2025, the media buzz around Bhaker had cooled off, even as she kept up the momentum from her Olympic success and stayed among India’s top athletes. She received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, a real nod to her consistency and performance on the biggest stage. On the range, she stayed sharp, picking up international medals – multiple at the Asian Shooting Championships, including bronze finishes and strong placements across events, while remaining the one to beat on the domestic circuit. Her focus all year stayed on holding those standards and preparing for upcoming global meets, making sure her success was part of a long-term run.
And now, with her back in the news, it is because of a question about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. It’s frustrating for an athlete who has worked so hard for her medals to find the conversation shifting elsewhere, once again showing how cricket’s massive popularity often buries achievements in other sports.
