'Unthinkable': Steve Waugh hails Vaibhav Suryavanshi, warns against Sachin comparison

Mumbai: Former Australia captain Steve Waugh isn’t usually glued to the TV during the IPL, especially since matches air late at night in Australia. But the emergence of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi was enough to make even the legendary Aussie batter sit up and take notice.“I don’t get to watch a lot of IPL games because it’s probably the wrong time of the day for us. But when someone like that comes along, you want to watch the game — he’s a fantastic attraction for the sport,” the 59-year-old said.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Suryavanshi made headlines with a blistering 35-ball century (he eventually scored 101 off 38 balls) against Gujarat Titans, the fastest IPL hundred by an Indian.“I watched that century and I just couldn’t believe how well he struck the ball, how effortlessly he was hitting sixes, and how relaxed he looked. At 14, he had no concept of pressure… just played with complete freedom. It was great to watch. I guess the challenge for him now will be to keep it all under control,” Waugh said during a media interaction alongside Anil Kumble, Matthew Hayden, and Robin Uthappa at the launch of the ‘Australian Summer of Cricket 2025-26,’ organised by Cricket Australia and the Australian Government.In what was a sensational debut season for Suryavanshi with Rajasthan Royals, the aggressive left-handed opener racked up 252 runs in seven matches at a phenomenal strike rate of 206.56.“Can he continue to play with the same enthusiasm and freedom? That’ll be his challenge. He’s got the skills, he’s mentally tough, and he’s got a great backstory — you want someone like that to succeed. It’s a great story for cricket, even for someone like me watching from far away,” Waugh added, referring to the well-documented sacrifices made by Suryavanshi’s parents.However, Waugh cautioned against comparing the young phenom to Sachin Tendulkar, who debuted in Tests at age 16 in 1989.“I don’t think you can compare anyone to Sachin Tendulkar. I mean, a 16-year-old (actually 18) coming to Australia and scoring a century in Perth, on the hardest, most unique pitch in world cricket where most players struggle, was a freakish performance. It’s very rare that someone like Sachin comes along. But then again, I never expected a 14-year-old to score a century in the IPL. That was unthinkable,” Waugh said.One of the most successful Test captains in history, Waugh also commented on how Indian teams no longer seem “intimidated” when touring Australia.“They’re well-travelled, experienced, and used to different conditions. The intimidation factor isn’t what it was 10 or 20 years ago. India have won two Test series recently in Australia, and frankly, they often have more crowd support than Australia,” Waugh observed.