BCCI told to hold Vaibhav Suryavanshi's India call-up: 'Sachin Tendulkar hit 100s on Ranji, Duleep, Irani Trophy debut'

Hindustan Times

7 hours ago

Since making his Indian Premier League debut, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has become a known name in world cricket. What made the Rajasthan Royals batter special is that he is only 14 years old. He is the youngest debutant in IPL history and the youngest Indian List A debutant. Initially, when RR broke the bank for the youngster, purchasing him for ₹1.10 crore (from a base price of ₹30 lakhs) at the IPL 2025 mega auction, there were question marks over the move, with many also feeling that it was for commercial and marketing reasons. The youngster initially didn't even feature in RR's matches in the first half of IPL 2025, and it was only when skipper Sanju Samson picked up an injury that young Suryavanshi got his opportunity. He made his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants on April 19, and the rest… as they say… is history.
In his debut match, Suryavanshi smacked 34 runs off 20 balls, offering a glimpse of his aggressive brilliance with a first-ball six. As it turns out, it just didn't end there. On April 28, he became the youngest player to score a century in the IPL, at 14 years and 32 days old, hammering 101 off 38 balls vs Gujarat Titans. What made it sweeter was that he got to his hundred in only 35 deliveries, making it the second-fastest century in IPL history, only behind Chris Gayle (30 balls), and the fastest by an Indian – Yusuf Pathan. Suryavanshi's performance in the IPL, coupled with his recent 190-run knock off 90 balls in India U-19's preparatory match ahead of their upcoming England tour, has also led to comparisons with none other than the great Sachin Tendulkar.
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Tendulkar enjoyed a similar start, catching everyone's attention with his domestic cricket performance long before the IPL was even thought of. At the tender age of 16, Sachin made his international debut for India in a Test match against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989. We all know what Tendulkar went on to achieve in his career, winding up his career 25 years later as arguably the greatest batter in the history of the game.
Suryavanshi's recent performances have also led to many fans calling for his Indian senior team debut, with comparisons with Sachin only intensifying on social media. Some also feel that Suryavanshi can be a good addition to the Test team, because of his intent and pedigree.
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However, former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju doesn't think so. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Raju, who was also the BCCI selector for India's 2007 World T20 squad, feels fans and the board will need to wait for some time before Suryavanshi is seen in India clothing.
"Yes, yes, he will take a lot of time. He has to be one of those guys who needs to well in U-19 World Cups. He has to perform quite a bit in domestic cricket. Four-day games. And we can give time. See, talent-wise, we've already seen him, what he can do with a white ball, right?" Raju said.
Raju also downplayed comparisons with Tendulkar, reminding the world of the legendary player's domestic performance before his India debut.
"It depends on the consistency, right? We're a firm believer. We might talk about somebody like Sachin, right? First, Ranji Trophy debut, he got 100. Duleep Trophy, he got 100. Rest of India, he got 100, right? All three-day games. All four-day games. All five-day games. So, like that, I think when you know the talent, we should give him enough time to go and play, do well, and you feel that he's really good enough and he can perform, why not? We can still bring him in," he said.
Suryavanshi is currently with the India U-19 team in England, eager to leave behind a good impression. Born on March 27, 2011, in Bihar, and according to reports, Suryavanshi started playing cricket at four years old. His first coach was his father. Vaibhav joined an academy at the age of nine and first came under the scanner when he played at the Vinoo Mankad Trophy as a 12-year-old for Bihar's U-19 squad. Last year, at the 2024 ACC U-19 Asia Cup, Suryavanshi smacked 76 off 46 balls versus the UAE, and 67 off 36 deliveries against Sri Lanka in the semi-finals.