New Delhi: Vaibhav Sooryvanshi emerged as the breakout star of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 after taking the tournament by storm with some outstanding knocks. At a tender age of 14, Sooryvanshi held his own against some of the top international bowlers and played beyond his years.
The Bihar batter, who was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.10 crore at the IPL mega-auction, left the cricketing world amazed by his maturity and ability to perform at the biggest stage in domestic T20 cricket in his maiden appearance.
Legendary Aussie cricketer Steve Waugh was among a long list of former players who were left in awe by Sooryvanshi. The former Australia captain expressed disbelief at the 14-year-old’s ability, but at the same time, advised him to focus on “control” to avoid being a one-hit wonder.
Waugh hailed Suryavanshi and said that he is a “fantastic attraction”, but the youngster needs to remain grounded for his own good.
“I watched that century and I just couldn’t believe how well he struck the ball and how easy he was hitting the sixes and how relaxed he was,” Waugh opined in a media interaction alongside Anil Kumble, Matthew Hayden and Robin Uthappa on ‘Australian Summer of Cricket 2025-26’ organised by JioStar, Cricket Australia and the Australian Government.
The iconic skipper also had a word of caution for Sooryavanshi.
“Can he play the same way with the same enthusiasm, the same freedom as he has done this year? That’ll be his challenge,” he added.
Shouldn’t be compared to Tendulkar
Like every teenage batting sensation, Sooryavanshi has drawn comparison with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who made his Test debut as a 16-year-old.
Waugh said no one else should be compared to the Indian maestro because a talent like Tendulkar comes once in a lifetime.
Tendulkar’s iconic knock of 114 in 1991-92 at Perth as an 18-year-old is still fresh in the memories of the Australians.
“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,” he 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.
“Even right now it’s unthinkable. I look back to myself as a 14-year-old and I couldn’t contemplate being in that situation and being successful,” Waugh added.
In his maiden IPL, Sooryavanshi scored 252 runs in seven innings at a stunning strike rate of 206.55, including a century and a fifty apiece.
Sooryanshi set the cricketing world ablaze by scoring a swashbuckling century against Gujarat Titans, reaching the three-figure mark in 35 balls, becoming the youngest to score a T20 century and the second-fastest IPL century.
Iconic Australian cricketer Steve Waugh lavished praise on 14-year-old batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after his heroics in IPL 2025 but rubbished comparisons with Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
