Suryavanshi vs Tendulkar: Vaibhav may be India’s most exciting talent in decades, but Sachin comparisons don’t hold

The Vaibhav Suryavanshi hype is real, but is it indicative of the same greatness as Sachin Tendulkar? Let’s pause that thought for a while.

In April and May of 2025, the left-handed Vaibhav Suryavanshi managed to capture the imagination of almost every household in India. A young big-hitting batter from Samastipur, Bihar, put the entire world on notice as he showed no ounce of fear in his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) stint. Aged 14, Suryavanshi had already created headlines before playing a single ball in the tournament as he was the youngest to ever be picked in an auction. However, bigger things were in store during his maiden IPL stint. The youngster displayed that he truly has a big heart as he hit his first ball for a six, dispatching India quick Shardul Thakur into the stands. This was just the beginning. A few games later, Suryavanshi became the youngest Indian centurion in IPL history, getting there in just 35 balls and blasting Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, and Rashid Khan along the way. Such was the onslaught that even a player of Yashasvi Jaiswal's calibre was made to play second fiddle.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi promising but has a long way to go before being talked about in the same breath as Sachin Tendulkar (PTI/AFP)

As Suryavanshi, over the next few months, dazzled in England, Australia and South Africa, comparisons were inevitable, but to be mentioned in the same breath as Sachin Tendulkar was a big compliment even for someone as exciting as him. Before Suryavanshi, who was the last young teenage kid that put world cricket on notice after the Master Blaster? Your guess is as good as ours.

Suryavanshi had shown glimpses of brilliance even before making his IPL debut for the Royals. He had scripted history by debuting at the age of 12 in the Ranji Trophy, becoming the second youngest to do so for Bihar. He first gained limelight with a 58-ball century against Australia Under 19s in 2024, which was the fastest by an Indian in youth Tests. This performance was the primary reason the Royals signed him for INR 1.1 crore.

The left-hander, currently 14 years and 292 days old, worked under the guidance of Royals head coach Rahul Dravid, and the former India batter constantly provided him with tips during the IPL season. The training is now showing in the youngster's batting exploits. Following the IPL season, Suryavanshi set the world stage on fire, scoring centuries in three of the SENA nations and even received a captaincy call-up in the tune-up to the T20 World Cup.

As Suryavanshi continues to break records left, right and centre, comparisons with the Master Blaster are growing. The ‘God of Cricket’, as he is fondly called, made his Test debut at the age of 16, facing the likes of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis on a spicy pitch in Karachi. The parallels are being drawn between Suryavanshi and Sachin due to their exploits at such a young age. But is the comparison warranted? Is Suryavanshi the next Sachin? Let's take a look.

Suryavanshi no match for Sachin

Suryavanshi has all the talent in the world, and who knows – he may even come close to Sachin’s game and records in the future. However, let’s set the record straight: the youngster from Bihar is no Sachin, as Tendulkar was a different breed altogether. More importantly, it isn’t fair to Suryavanshi that his career trajectory is constantly being likened to Tendulkar’s.

As far as batting goes, Tendulkar is as close to perfection as it can get. He is right there on the highest pedestal. Has there been a better straight driver? Oh, the beautiful positioning of the bat. Goosebumps! The younger generation, raised on the talent showcased in the IPL, may never fully grasp how Sachin, batting right-handed, could magically elevate his game by transferring his weight so effortlessly.

Sachin was elegance supreme. One major difference between Tendulkar and Suryavanshi is that the former made a name for himself playing for India in the toughest format: Tests. At just 16, Tendulkar was thrown into the deep end, asked to front up to Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan in Karachi. Such was his brilliance that even the trio saw signs of perfection right at the start. Sachin did not take a backward step, squaring off against them one bouncer at a time.

In comparison, Suryavanshi is yet to make his India debut. Moreover, most of his success has come in the white-ball formats. While he has scored runs for fun across conditions in Youth ODIs, the youngster has shown limited willingness to change gears. He has consistently batted at a steady tempo, looking to tee off from ball one. That all-or-nothing approach may have worked in bilaterals, but it cannot be ignored that Suryavanshi failed to get going in the big games – the Rising Stars Asia Cup final and the U19 Asia Cup final.

At 14, Tendulkar was invited to the India nets by skipper Dilip Vengsarkar. The story is well known. Vengsarkar asked Kapil Dev to bowl at the teenager at full tilt, without holding back. The 1983 World Cup–winning captain was hesitant at first but soon went all out as Tendulkar began driving him with ease. Such a display against a legendary India all-rounder was enough to earn Tendulkar a Ranji Trophy call-up.

If elegance and beauty defined a young Sachin, then brash shot-making and fearlessness are the defining traits of Suryavanshi. The left-hander bats with a high backlift and a jaw-dropping downswing, traits that explain his ability to clear the ropes with ease. He nails the heave over mid-wicket, but can a batter truly make it big in international cricket by playing only one way and never going into his shell when the situation demands? Suryavanshi must show he can manage his time at the crease – and, on occasion, even leave the ball.

With time, Suryavanshi will excel at this challenge, but until he does, the comparisons should be laid to rest. The kid has a long way to go. No Indian youngster, coming through the ranks in decades, has shown as much spunk as Suryavanshi, including Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Prithvi Shaw? Perhaps. But let’s not forget how that turned out. The hype is real, but is it indicative of the same greatness as Tendulkar? Let’s pause that thought for a while.