Former Indian cricketer Atul Wasan has drawn comparisons between the teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi And young Sachin Tendulkar said that the maturity, audacity and fearless approach of the youngster reminds him of the great batsman during India's 1989 tour of Pakistan.
Suryavanshi emerged as the breakout star of the recently concluded IPL season, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 776 runs in 16 innings at a remarkable strike rate of 237.30. At the age of just 15, he impressed cricket fans and experts alike with his fearless batting against some of the world's top bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins.
“He is a one-in-a-million generational talent. Can you imagine the maturity and audacity of this boy? He reminds me of a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar. I had seen Sachin and that sporting maturity and the courage to take the bull by the horns (during the 1989 Pakistan tour). God has blessed him with the game and the power as well as the X factor,” Wasan was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.
Wasson stressed that Suryavanshi's long-term success will depend on him receiving the right guidance and developing into a complete cricketer rather than being restricted to a T20 specialist role. The former Delhi captain cautioned against having excessive expectations from Kishore or expecting him to achieve record-breaking milestones at this early stage of his career.
Wasson said, “The only thing that bothers me is whether he is being tipped enough to want a Test cap? He is the king of this format (T20). He has got the game. But does he have more talent than just hitting sixes?”
“It would be unfair to put the burden of breaking records on them. They should neither think about records nor be forced to think about them. They should aspire to become complete players like Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli. They took their game for a long time and at a higher level. There will come a time when you have to change your game,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with former West Indies great Chris Gayle, Wasson said that one of the most destructive T20 players of all time also earned more respect and recognition after proving himself in the longest format of the game. The former cricketer also expressed confidence in Suryavanshi's preparation for the international stage and said that the young player is already match-ready for Team India.
“'Test' is the real test. A player gets respect only from Test cricket. You could hit those sixes because the ground was a little smaller. But when there are three slips, no restrictions on bouncers, bigger grounds and tough conditions, if you perform well there, you earn respect in the eyes of your contemporaries,” Wasson said.
He said, “Suryavanshi has shown that he is ready to play international cricket. He has bowled all the bowlers in the world. He walks in the Indian team. It is the coach's job where you fit him! One, two and three are all openers for me in T20 so it does not matter.”
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