Legendary Australia skipper Steve Waugh rubbished comparisons of IPL teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi with batting great Sachin Tendulkar, who also made a mark in international cricket at a very young age. Tendulkar, who made his international debut at the age of 16, went on to become arguably the greatest batter in cricket history. The Indian great made batting look easy on the toughest of surfaces, which Waugh also mentioned while praising his extraordinary talent at a very young age.
Tendulkar had an incredible 1991/92 Australia tour, during which he scored a couple of centuries Down Under at the age of 18. He scored his first century on the tour at the Sydney Cricket Ground, while his 161-ball 114 at the pace and bounce track at WACA, Perth, stood out.
Waugh made it clear that Tendulkar is incomparable by referring to his freakish performance in Perth. However, he also praised 14-year-old Suryavanshi for his century against Gujarat Titans.
“I don’t think you can compare anyone to Sachin Tendulkar,” Waugh said during an event in Mumbai. “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.”
“…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,” he added.
‘Vaibhav Suryavanshi got a lot of skill, he’s mentally tough…’
The Australian legend, who scored 10,927 Test runs during his illustrious career, made an honest admission that he couldn’t contemplate himself being successful at 14 and doing things which Suryavanshi did in the IPL at such a young age.
“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 said.
Suryavanshi etched his name into the history books with a blazing 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans. In what was a sensational debut season, he racked up 252 runs in just 7 matches, boasting a phenomenal strike rate of 206.56.
However, Waugh feels that it will be a challenge for Vaibhav to continue playing the same way in the coming years with the same freedom, while praising his skills and mental toughness.
“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’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.