Former India cricketer Atul Wassan has compared Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to Sachin Tendulkar at 16. He said the teenager’s maturity, fearlessness and audacity remind him of Tendulkar on India’s 1989 tour of Pakistan, and called him a one-in-a-million, generational talent.
Fearless against the best
Sooryavanshi impressed all season by taking on leading bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins with bold strokeplay, despite being only 15.
A note of caution
Wassan, though, urged care. He said the youngster’s development should not be confined to T20 cricket and stressed the need for proper guidance to turn him into a complete player across formats. He asked whether Sooryavanshi is being mentored enough for a Test cap, calling him the king of this format but wondering if he has talent beyond hitting sixes.
He warned against loading the teenager with excessive pressure or record-breaking expectations, noting that Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli built greatness through longevity and adaptability.
Lessons from Gayle
Wassan also pointed to Chris Gayle’s evolution, saying true respect in world cricket comes from Test success. He added that Sooryavanshi already looks ready for international cricket, though selection is a matter for the management.
