A former India selector has called on fans and the board to be patient and avoid rushing Vaibhav Suryavanshi into the senior team.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi: IPL’s Youngest Star Igniting Comparisons with Tendulkar
Since his Indian Premier League debut, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has captured the cricketing world’s attention. Playing for Rajasthan Royals, he became the youngest debutant in IPL history and the youngest Indian List A debutant. When RR purchased him for ₹1.10 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction—far above his ₹30 lakh base price—many questioned if the move was driven by commercial interests. Initially, Suryavanshi didn’t feature in RR’s early matches, but when captain Sanju Samson got injured, the young batter got his chance.
On April 19, in his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants, Vaibhav Suryavanshi impressed with a quick 34 runs off 20 balls, including a first-ball six. But he didn’t stop there. On April 28, at just 14 years and 32 days old, he scored the youngest IPL century ever—101 off 38 balls against Gujarat Titans. His 35-ball hundred was the second-fastest in IPL history, behind Chris Gayle’s 30-ball record, and the fastest by an Indian, surpassing Yusuf Pathan.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi explosive IPL success and a recent 190-run innings in an India U-19 preparatory match have sparked comparisons to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international debut at 16 and became one of cricket’s greatest icons. Fans are eagerly calling for Suryavanshi’s senior India debut, with some even suggesting he could be a Test team prospect due to his skill and temperament.
However, former India spinner and selector Venkatapathy Raju urges patience. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Raju emphasized that Suryavanshi still needs to prove himself in U-19 World Cups and domestic four-day cricket before stepping up. “Talent-wise, we’ve seen what he can do with the white ball,” Raju said, “but it will take time, and he must perform consistently.”
No comparison with Sachin Tendulkar
Venkatapathy Raju also downplayed comparisons between Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Sachin Tendulkar, emphasizing the legendary player’s consistent domestic performances before his India debut.
“It depends on the consistency, right? We’re firm believers in that. Take Sachin, for example — in his Ranji Trophy debut, he scored a hundred; in the Duleep Trophy, another hundred; and then for Rest of India, yet another hundred. These were all multi-day games — three, four, five days. So similarly, when you recognize talent, you have to give a player enough time to prove himself. Once you feel he’s really good and can perform consistently, why not bring him in?” Raju explained.
Currently with the India U-19 team touring England, Suryavanshi is eager to make his mark. Born on March 27, 2011, in Bihar, he started playing cricket at the age of four, coached initially by his father. He joined a cricket academy at nine and first attracted attention playing in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy as a 12-year-old for Bihar’s U-19 squad. Last year, during the 2024 ACC U-19 Asia Cup, Suryavanshi impressed with innings of 76 off 46 balls against the UAE and 67 off 36 balls in the semi-finals against Sri Lanka.