The great Kapil Dev is among the many impressed by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but believes the real challenge for the 15-year-old still lies ahead. At such a young age, Sooryavanshi has taken world cricket by storm; however, Kapil reckons his true test will come a few years from now, when he enters his early 20s. Sooryavanshi is often compared to Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most complete batters in cricket history, and with good reason. Like Sooryavanshi, Tendulkar became India’s cricketing sensation after making his international debut at the age of 16. Now, 37 years later, as Sooryavanshi stands on the brink of breaking Tendulkar’s record as the youngest player to represent India, Kapil has thrown down the gauntlet.
“Vaibhav is too young. But yes, he is a special talent and full stop. He is a 16-year-old kid and everything he has is only cricket. Once he reaches 20-22, we will judge. But no doubt his talent is extraordinary. He is like Sachin at the age of 16 but can he play that long? He had to go a long way,” Kapil told The Indian Express.
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Sooryavanshi on fire
The last few months have been tremendous for Sooryavanshi. He sprang into action with a heroic 175 in the Under-19 World Cup final, leading India to the title. Then, just when it seemed bowlers had figured him out in the IPL, he proved them spectacularly wrong. Sooryavanshi finished the season with 776 runs to win the Orange Cap, becoming the youngest player ever to do so. During the tournament, he also broke Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single edition.
The past year of hard work culminated in a maiden call-up to the senior team, with Sooryavanshi earning a place in India’s T20I squads for the Ireland and England series. To prepare for the challenge, Sooryavanshi, who had endured a lean patch during the tri-nation series in Sri Lanka, roared back to form with a blistering 94 in the final.
The stage is set for Sooryavanshi’s debut on Friday, and while he certainly will be the centre of attention, Kapil wished the entire team the best. “I should say good luck to the Indian team. It’s not just to him but to the whole Indian team and every player. And he is part of that,” Kapil mentioned.
On Tuesday, an emotional Sooryavanshi received his maiden Team India jersey. Whether he gets to start in the XI, though, remains to be seen.
