Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 35-ball IPL ton has sparked comparisons, although premature, with Sachin Tendulkar
Vaibhav Suryavanshi ton sparks comparisons with young Sachin Tendulkar: Vaibhav Suryavanshi seems to be the only name echoing in cricketing circles after the 14-year-old scripted one of the most exciting and explosive innings in IPL history with his 35-ball century, the fastest by an Indian in IPL history and second fastest in the history of the cash-rich tournament.
Suryavanshi, playing only his third match for Rajasthan Royals on Monday (April 28) after his Rs 1.1 crore signing in the mega auctions, decimated the Gujarat bowlers while also breaking many a records as he raced to three figures in just 35 balls and eventually falling for a 38-ball 101: his knock laced with 11 towering sixes and 7 fours. And as he hit the monstrous sixes — elegantly and with a bat-speed few would match — many fans went back in time, recalling how another teenager way back in 1989, whom the cricketing world would later regard as one of the greatest to have ever played the gentleman’s game — caught the attention of fans and players with his stroke making abilities and the courage to face the most fiery pacers of the time.
Comparison with Sachin Tendulkar would be very premature now considering there were many other cricketers who were considered raw talent and believed to have everything to make it to the lists of all-time cricketing greats but could not rise up to the expectations.
But Suryavanshi who is just 14 years old, and Sachin Tendulkar debuting for India at 16, was enough for many fans to make a prophecy or two that the 14-year-old from Bihar could be a Sachin-Tendulkar-in-the-making.
“I remember Sachin Tendulkar taking to the field in Karachi as a 16-year-old, and facing the fiery Pakistani pacers and Abdul Qadir, then considered among the best spinners in the world. Suryavansi also faced a Gujarat Titans bowling attack boasting of an astronomical 694 international caps, including Rashid Khan, arguably the best spinner today, whom the 14-year-old did show some respect. But Monday night’s innings made me go back in time to Sachin’s debut series against Pakistan when he showed what a raw talent he was. I believe many others might have had similar feelings,” Parthajit Sarania, a die-hard cricket fan who makes it a point to watch almost every IPL match besides following the Indian cricket team very closely, said.
Time will tell if Vaivhav Suryavanshi would scale similar heights as Sachin Tendulkar. But one thing most cricket fans would agree is that he has the same spark in his eyes, and the hunger for runs and greatness in his belly, to etch his name among cricketing greats.
As Sachin — cricket pundits say, was born to bat, Vaibhav, too, appears destined to rule the cricketing world in the coming years.
