14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has become a fan favourite in England after stellar Youth ODI and IPL performances. His explosive knocks have sparked comparisons to Tendulkar and Kohli, with some English fans even rating him above the Indian legends.
Indian batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi has grabbed the attention of the cricketing world with his phenomenal performance in the recently concluded ODI Youth series against England. Suryavanshi carried forward his impressive form from the IPL 2025, where he was one of the standout performers for the Rajasthan Royals in his debut season of the tournament.
The 14-year-old Bihar-born cricketer left cricket fans and experts with his exploits in the IPL 2025 match against the Gujarat Titans, playing a record-breaking innings of 101 off 39 balls. Vaibhav Suryavanshi had an unforgettable debut IPL season, amassing 252 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 206.56 in seven matches.
However, Vaibhav’s performance in the Youth ODI series, especially his blistering knocks of 143 off 78 balls and 86 off 31 balls against England U19, has propelled him into the limelight beyond India, with England cricket fans becoming his ardent admirers. The youngster unleashed absolute carnage against England U19 bowlers, leaving the fans and experts stunned by his fearless strokeplay and maturity beyond his years.
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Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s fan craze in England
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s brilliant outing in the Youth ODI Series, amassing 355 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 71.00 in five matches, has drawn many fans in England. Suryavanshi has become quite popular in England despite the presence of big names, including Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Smriti Mandhana, who are part of respective England tours.
A week ago, two young girls, along with their father, drove six hours to Worcester, the venue where Vaibhav smashed 143 off 78 balls in the fourth Youth ODI match, cheered for the India U19 team, and then clicked a picture with the Indian batting sensation. The picture was posted by RR on its X handle (formerly Twitter).
The fan craze did not stop here. After the 1st Youth Test, where Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 14 and 56, ended in a draw, the youngster was spotted signing autographs for English fans who came to watch the match at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham.
His performances in the U19 tour of England have gained significant attention across the cricketing world, and his fan craze in the United Kingdom (UK) says a lot about his growing popularity and the global impact he's beginning to make at just 14.
England fans rate Vaibhav ‘Beyond Kohli and Tendulkar’
Given his performance in the Youth ODI series, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been rated beyond two legendary Indian batters - Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar - by England fans.
Daniel Peacock, an analyst and statistician at the England and Wales Cricket Board, who is covering the ongoing U19 series between England and India, spoke about the sentiment of the England Cricket fans about the Indian youngster and how he has been rated beyond two batting legends.
“The people I’ve spoken to in the game – I think we all have the same feeling. We’ve watched and witnessed a young star in the making, something very special. I would go as far as to say he’s probably the best 14-year-old in any sport that I’ve seen live,” Peacock told Times of India (TOI).
“I think the sentiment in England is that we are watching a very special young boy playing cricket – and the expectancy is Tendulkar-Kohli-level, or even beyond,” he added.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi has often been compared to Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, given his incredible temperament, flair, and hunger for big performances at such a young age.
‘Cricket fans already know who he is’
Talking about Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s fan craze in England, Daniel Peacock stated that the British and Indians have started to follow him and attend the matches to watch him play.
“People are starting to make noise about him here. Cricket fans already know who he is – even if they can’t all pronounce his name,” Peacock said.
“These games usually attract a few die-hards, but there’s certainly been a little extra media attention (we’ve had the likes of BBC, The Athletic, Getty, etc.), and a lot of British-Indians have come to watch Vaibhav play in the flesh for the first time,” he added.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been touted as one of the big things not just in Indian cricket but also internationally, and former India captain and head coach Ravi Shastri believes that the youngster will be fast-tracked into the senior Indian team if he plays first-class cricket.
