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Former Australia captain Steve Waugh is still in disbelief that a 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi tonked Gujarat Titans (GT) bowlers around the park and scored a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Waugh has been impressed by the way Suryavanshi plays but feels it will be a challenge for him to continue in the same manner.
"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 on JioHotstar which also featured former India captain Anil Kumble 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.
Waugh wants the 35-ball centurion Suryavanshi to succeed as he is aware of the youngster's backstory. He admitted that he does not want many IPL games but Suryavanshi made him glued to the screen.
"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 said.
"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.
"I don't get to watch a lot of IPL games because it's probably (in) the wrong time of the day. But then, when someone like that comes along, you want to watch the game so he's a fantastic attraction for the sport."
Waugh on Suryavanshi's comparison with Tendulkar
Waugh also said that it is unfair to compare any young batter with legendary Sachin Tendulkar who scored a century in Perth as a teenager. However, he thinks Suryavanshi did something that was unthinkable.
"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," said the 59-year-old who has 10,927 Test runs under his belt.
"...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.
"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 added.
Suryavanshi's next challenge in England
Suryavanshi will be seen in action when Ayush Mhatre-led India Under-19 team tour England for a five One-Day and two multi-day games. The One-Day series will begin on June 27.
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