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Steve Waugh dismisses comparisons between Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Sachin Tendulkar, calling Sachin’s Perth ton a “freakish performance.” While praising Vaibhav’s talent, Waugh questions if the 14-year-old can sustain his form in coming seasons.
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh shared his thoughts on the comparison of Rajasthan Royals (RR) young batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi with ex-India captain and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi grabbed the eyeballs of not just Indian cricket fraternity but also several international legends with his sensational record-breaking performance against Gujarat Titans, where he registered the fastest IPL century by an Indian batter and the youngest to get to three-figure mark in the history of T20 cricket. Since then, the 14-year-old cricketer from Bihar hogged the spotlight in the remaining matches he had played for Rajasthan Royals.
Following Suryavanshi’s sensational maiden IPL century, the fans began to compare him with Sachin Tendulkar, who kicked off his domestic senior team for Mumbai at the age of 15 before making his international debut at 16 and later went on to become one of the greatest batters to have ever graced the game of cricket. The comparison of Vaibhav with Tendulkar sparked a massive debate among fans and experts alike.
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Steve Waugh dismisses Vaibhav-Tendulkar comparison
Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Steve Waught dismissed the comparison of Vaibhav Suryavanshi with Sachin Tendulkar, referring to the ‘freakish’ performance of the latter in Perth in 1992 while lauding the former’s talent in the IPL 2025.
“I don’t think you can compare anyone to Sachin Tendulkar. I mean, a 16-year-old (18-year-old) coming out to Australia and scoring a century in Perth on the hardest, (the) most unique pitch in world cricket where most players really struggle to play on a pitch." 1999 World Cup winning captain said.
“For him to score a century as a teenager in Perth was a freakish performance. It’s very rare you get a Sachin Tendulkar come along. But I would never have expected a 14-year-old to score a 100 in the IPL, that was unthinkable," he added.
Sachin Tendulkar had a memorable maiden Test tour of Australia in 1991/92, where he was the highest run-getter for India and the third overall in the five-match series, amassing 368 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 46.00 in nine innings.
Tendulkar had scored a memorable century in the Perth Test, scoring 114 off 161 balls when other Indian batters struggled to get going in one of the challenging pitches in Australia, cementing his status as a prodigious talent on the world stage. No other Indian batter managed to score a half century, as the second highest score was 34 by opener Kris Srikkanth in the first innings.
Challenge lies ahead for Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Further speaking about Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s talent, Steve Waugh acknowledged that the youngster has a skill and mental toughness to succeed at the highest level, but he has a challenge to maintain consistency in the next IPL season.
“Can he play the same way with the same enthusiasm, the same freedom as he has done this year? That’ll be his challenge.” the 59-year-old said.
“He’s got a lot of skill, he’s mentally tough and he’s got a great backstory, so you want to see someone like that be successful. It’s a great story for cricket and for me watching from a long way away,” Waugh added.
In his debut IPL season, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has amassed 252 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 206.56 in seven matches.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi will tour England with India U19 squad for the five–match ODI series and two multi-games against England U19 team, starting on June 24. This is Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s first brush in the challenging overseas conditions, which also starts the road to the next year’s Men’s U19 World Cup, which will be co–hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
