Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: India's 14-Year-Old Prodigy Like Sachin Tendulkar

A Rising Star in the World of Cricket

At 5am IST on September 22, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a call to one of his coaches, who had worked with him since his early days in Brisbane. This was just after India U19's first youth one-day match against Australia U19. The coach, still half-asleep, was surprised by the early morning call. "This boy drives me crazy," he said, recalling the conversation. "I asked him, ‘Vaibhav, it is pretty early in India, what do you want to show me?’"

The 14-year-old turned the camera towards the ground and asked, "Sir, ye light dekha apane? (Can you see this light?)" The coach was confused. "I have never been to Brisbane in my life, Vaibhav." After a moment, the coach realized what the teenager was trying to show him. "Oh, he's showing me the bloody light over there in Brisbane." Vaibhav continued, "Sir, look at this light ek, do, teen, chaar khamba hai (There are four pillars)."

The coach was still puzzled and asked Vaibhav to get to the point. "Maine bola haan kya karu abhi (I said yes, what can I do?)." Vaibhav became frustrated and said, "Nahi sir, main kya samjha raha hoon aapko? Ye chaaron light hai na IPL mey ek khamba mey lagta hai (No sir, what am I even explaining to you? These four are lights, right? In the IPL, they’re installed on a single pole)."

Finally, Vaibhav explained why he was so agitated. "Arey sir, ball nahi dikh raha idhar (I can't see the ball while playing)." The coach smiled and replied, "Vaibhav, sabke liye same hi light hai (Everyone is playing under the same lights)."

A Prodigy Making Waves

Despite the confusion, Vaibhav's performance has spoken volumes. He has set the Australian shores on fire with his performances. After playing brisk cameos in the youth ODIs, he scored a century in youth Tests. The boy, who made his first-class debut at 12, signed a million-dollar IPL deal at 13, and then made history as the youngest player to hit a century in men’s T20s off just 35 balls.

Earlier this year, he hit the fastest century on record in youth ODIs against England at Worcester. His talent has already earned him a big fan following. When he traveled to the UK, he was stopped for selfies at the airport, and fans reached the venue to get his autographs.

A Future Star in the Making

Amid all the excitement, Vikram Rathour, former India batting coach and currently with Rajasthan Royals, firmly believes that Sooryavanshi is destined for big things. "He's got a hundred in England, he's got a hundred in Australia. And you see what he can do in T20 cricket (IPL). Outstanding for a kid so young," Rathour said.

"He is a prodigy. But the great thing about him is that he's not flustered at all. It's not that he scored his hundred and suddenly becomes a big name in Indian cricket at a young age. Nothing has changed. He's still so grounded and comfortable with all this suddenly happening around him. That's a great thing to have," he added.

A Coach’s Perspective

Sooryavanshi's childhood coach echoes Rathour's sentiments and goes a step further, urging the selectors to "blood" him immediately. "He should be blooded into the senior team immediately, like Sachin was all those years ago," he said.

"They have to blood this guy immediately, boss, because he is in another zone only. At least send him on an India A tour. Send him to India A immediately. I'm telling you, this Australian attack that is here, bowling to India A guys, he would have got a double hundred," he said.

The coach shared a story from the IPL when the teenager faced Jofra Archer in the nets. "He smoked Jofra Archer in the nets. Jofra Archer, when he bowls in the nets, he's a demon. He never bowls a warm-up ball when the batter is there. He absolutely charges in. And actually, Jofra Archer knocked off Steve Smith's head in a practice session we had before the Ashes. Smith was struggling against him. From that day onwards, he never went inside the net when Jofra was bowling."

"When he was bowling to Vaibhav, I was scared, and this boy hit one shot on the back foot, and it went out of the stadium. All the coaching staff, even Jofra, were stunned," he said.

The Road Ahead

While those who have worked with Sooryavanshi agree there are areas in his game that still need improvement, his love for mutton and rice is something that worries his coaches. However, with a bat in hand and his six-hitting prowess, he excites everyone. They feel the boy from Samastipur, Bihar, is a world-class talent—far beyond his years.