Latest news with #AustralianSummerofCricket2025-26′
Mint
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Steve Waugh pinpoints Vaibhav Suryavanshi's challenges after IPL success; Aussie great asks 'Can he play the same way?'
Like every other cricketer in the world, Steve Waugh got up and took a note of Vaibhav Suryavanshi when the 14-year-old smashed a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). What impressed the former Australian captain was the youngster's impeccable timing and striking against the big boys while playing for Rajasthan Royals. Not only Suryavanshi made history by becoming the youngest-ever IPL centurion, the boy from Samastipur in Bihar also etched his name as the world's youngest century maker. However, amid all the great things, Waugh pinpointed the future challenges that Suryavanshi might face in coming days. Keeping all the plans and strategies from the opposition aside, Waugh stressed on the challenge of keeping Suryavanshi's 'control' in the future, during a media interaction on 'Australian Summer of Cricket 2025-26′ organised by JioStar, Cricket Australia and the Australian Government. '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 told reporters alongside the greats like Anil Kumble, Matthew Hayden and Robin Uthappa. 'As a 14-year-old, he had no concept of pressure…just play with complete freedom, so that was great to watch. I guess for him the challenge will be to keep it under control,' he added. 'Can he play the same way with the same enthusiasm, the same freedom as he has done this year? That'll be his challenge,'asked Waugh before adding, '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." With age on his side, Suryavanshi is being compared with legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who also blossomed at the top level at such a young age and made his Test debut for India at 16 in 1989 against Pakistan. But Waugh is against such comparisons. '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,' Waugh 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,' Waugh added. Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘He had no concept of pressure': Steve Waugh in awe of Vaibhav Suryavanshi but warns against Tendulkar comparison
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh is not a religious follower of the IPL. But when a precocious talent like Vaibhav Suryavanshi bursts onto the scene, even the legendary Aussie batter cannot help but sit up and take note. Waugh expressed disbelief over seeing the 14-year-old's impeccable timing and striking for the Rajasthan Royals this IPL edition, but stressed that the dashing southpaw will bear the challenge of keeping all that prodigious talent under 'control' over the forthcoming years. If batting at 14 in the IPL wasn't enough, Suryavanshi rewrote the record books when he walloped a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans, the fastest hundred by an Indian in the league's history. '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 said 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. 'As a 14-year-old, he had no concept of pressure…just play with complete freedom, so that was great to watch. I guess for him the challenge will be to keep it under control,' he added. '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. '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 said referring to the well-documented accounts of his parents' sacrifices to ensure his success. Waugh also cautioned against the inevitable obsession to draw teenage sensations to India's legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who debuted in Tests at 16 in 1989. '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,' Waugh 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,' Waugh added. – With PTI inputs
