IPL: Vaibhav a wonderboy alright, but don’t start comparing him with Sachin

The only similarity between a prodigious Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the great Sachin Tendulkar, as of now, is the tender age at which they burst into the limelight. But that’s where it should end - at least for now.

After Vaibhav, who turned 15 last month, toyed with the Chennai Super Kings attack last night to get Rajasthan Royals off to a winning start – the comparison of their impact on Indian cricket at this age have begun. The career graph of the babyfaced assassin from Bihar since last year had been nothing short of phenomenal, what with Player of the Tournament award in recent Under-19 World Cup vindicating that the boy from Patna is not a flash in the pan.  

The 52 off 17 deliveries, which Vaibhav struck at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Monday evening, showed a strike rate of 305.88 (yes, you saw that right). The way T20 cricket had been evolving and the template the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Tarvis Head or Finn Allen has set in the last T20 World Cup, a target in the region of 250 or thereabouts seem to have become par for the course.

This is the ecosystem Vaibhav is being groomed for more than a year now – since he became the youngest millionaire at 14 years when the Royals bid for him at Rs 1.1 crores at the last mega auction. There were, of course, doubts raised as to whether the youngster was actually 14 – but the murmurs have fallen silent quite over a period of time once the youngster began proving himself consistently even on the bigger stage.  

What would take the cream, of course, was his blazing 175 off 80 balls in the 50-overs Under-19 World Cup final against England in Zimbabwe. He took just 55 balls to reach the three-figure mark and his innings propelled India to a record-breaking total of  411, something which was a bridge too far for the rivals. Now that he is 15, Vaibhav is eligible to make it to the senior India squad – and the clamour has already begun to fast track him into the T20 squad.  

The master blaster had himself lavished on Vaibhav after the colts’ World Cup triumph. “Champions! So proud of this young group and the fearless cricket they played. Well done to the entire team, including coaches and support staff. Enjoy the moment! When you have a Sooryavanshi, a timeless blockbuster is expected! Well done, Vaibhav,” Tendulkar wrote on his X-handle.  

It was, however, a different cricketing universe that Tendulkar had grown up in before he was a blooded as a 16-year-old against the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Abdul Qadir in Pakistan. It’s true that the teenaged Sachin did not really set the stage on fire on debut and the best Indian batter on that tour was Sanjay Manjrekar, but the gumption he showed on that tour laid down an early marker for greatness.

Coming out of the conservative school of Mumbai cricket which believed in putting a price of the wicket – not to speak of the early grounding by the fabled Sir Ramakant Achrekar – Sachin was a man ahead of his time.

There is no point in grudging Vaibhav the ‘wonder boy’ tag in white ball cricket for now – but to compare him with Sachin is nothing beyond a fodder for catchy headlines. Let’s wait on Vaibhav before a final verdict!