He is the 15-year-old turning heads throughout the cricket world, and Kerry O’Keeffe believes India ought to “roll the cube” on Vaibhav Suryavanshi and choose the teenager towards Australia in subsequent summer season’s blockbuster five-Take a look at collection at dwelling.
After turning into the youngest participant purchased in an Indian Premier League public sale in 2024, Suryavanshi greater than justified his $AU195,000 price ticket when he belted a 35-ball century as a 14-year-old in an innings described as “unbelievable” by Nasser Hussain.
The previous England captain was effusive in his reward, evaluating his feats to these of Sachin Tendulkar greater than three a long time earlier, when the then 16-year-old made his Take a look at debut for India in 1989 earlier than occurring to make centuries in England and Australia by the tender age of 18.
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Vaibhav Suryavanshi celebrates his half-century. IPL/Twitter
“It’s unbelievable for a 14-year-old to try this,” Hussain stated in dialog with Mike Atherton on Sky Sports activities final yr.
“Issues like this do occur in India. You return to after I was rising up and watching the good Sachin Tendulkar emerge on the scene [at 16 years old]. However this even surpasses that.”
Quick ahead to this yr and the eye-catching knocks have continued.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi of India celebrates his under-19 century. ICC by way of Getty Photos
Now 15, {the teenager} is fourth on the IPL’s main run-scorers record after belting 404 runs at 40.40 throughout 10 innings.
He is additionally hanging at 237.64 – simply the best on this yr’s IPL for these within the high 20 for run scorers. His season has been headlined by a 37-ball 103, which included 5 boundaries and 12 sixes.
Oh, and it included a six off Pat Cummins’ first ball, with the Australian quick bowler the newest to be dealt the harshest of punishments by the boy from Bihar – a area within the north-east of India on the border of Nepal, not essentially recognized for producing worldwide cricketers apart from the good MS Dhoni.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals performs a shot. Getty
It additionally adopted the primary ball six off Indian spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in April.
A left-hander with unimaginable bat velocity, Suryavanshi is extra David Warner than Sam Konstas.
Moderately than enjoying ingenious photographs and exposing his stumps with ramps and laps, the left-hander stands and delivers.
His timing and stability, together with a head that does not transfer, stand out.
O’Keeffe, whose encyclopaedic data and urge for food to observe and analyse cricketers make him one in every of cricket’s most astute judges within the recreation, says he is been blown away by {the teenager}’s rise.
“There’s not many gamers that I might keep up until after midnight to observe, however he’s one in every of them,” O’Keeffe instructed Huge World of Sports activities. “I discover him mesmerising.
Kerry O’Keeffe. Getty
“There’s one thing about him. I am completely enthralled at what would possibly lie forward for that child.
“I might love him to be a three-format participant.”
Already Suryavanshi’s title is being talked about for increased honours.
Michael Vaughan. Getty
Ian Bishop listed him on the high of the order alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in an alternate Indian XI earlier this week, whereas former England captain Michael Vaughan was in awe of what he was witnessing in latest weeks.
Vaughan stated his tender age should not prohibit his speedy rise.
“I believe he’ll go on that T20 journey to Eire,” Vaughan stated on the Stick with Cricket podcast.
Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Suryavanshi celebrates after scoring a century. AP
“I might have him within the squad for the England collection in the summertime. I completely would. If he was 20, he’d be within the staff. However as a result of he is 15, we are saying, ‘you have to watch out.’
“His first ball [against] Jasprit Bumrah, he simply flicked him straight into the stands for six.”
Vaughan added that Jaiswal, who charges as the most effective openers on the planet and averages virtually 50 in Take a look at cricket on the age of 24, had been made to look merely OK by his youthful teammate on the Rajasthan Royals.
Yashasvi Jaiswal. Getty
“The brand new T20 opener is him,” Vaughan stated. “Even Jaiswal, who’s been enjoying nice on the different finish, he is at occasions made him look simply OK – and he is excellent.”
Suryavanshi has already learnt from among the recreation’s greatest gamers, with the prodigious expertise first coming into the Royals arrange beneath Rahul Dravid.
Sri Lankan nice Kumar Sangakkara has since taken over on the Royals.
O’Keeffe, too, contemplated what path India’s nationwide staff would lead him on to start with, however stated he was probably the most gifted batter at his age he had ever seen.
“[Ricky] Ponting was probably the most superior 15-year-old batter I’ve seen, however this child is a stage above Ponting at 15, and that is why he is so thrilling,” O’Keeffe stated.
“It is his stillness at contact. He does not overplay the shot.
Ricky Ponting celebrates his drought-breaking century on the SCG, towards India in January 2012. Getty
“When he hits these sixes over long-on, he is so nonetheless at contact. Most 15-year-olds are attempting to throw the kitchen sink on the ball, [but] he simply hits it for six from a set place. Whether or not that is simply dealing with tons of of balls a day, I do not know, however he is a particular expertise, this child.”
Suryavanshi is not the primary participant to make his title in T20 cricket.
Virtually twenty years in the past Warner burst onto the scene in white ball cricket.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals seems to be on earlier than the beginning of the 2025 IPL match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Worldwide Cricket Stadium on April 5, 2025, in Mullanpur, Mohali, India. (Photograph by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Photos) Getty
Initially pigeonholed as a short-form specialist, a century in Tasmania towards New Zealand in his second Take a look at put an finish to the speculation that Warner was merely a hit-and-giggle sort participant.
Like Warner, in addition to West Indian maverick Chris Gayle and former Indian star Virender Sehwag, Suryavanshi’s stability stands out and it is that issue that O’Keeffe believes units him aside.
“Warner was superior, however this child is a stage above once more,” O’Keeffe stated.
“He [Warner] performed an innings in Tasmania towards New Zealand. He bought a century on a seaming pitch, and it simply confirmed you ways balanced he was. Let the ball go, let the ball come to him, and it dispelled any doubt about whether or not he was an all-format participant.
“He was so a lot better technically than anyone within the recreation. And it simply satisfied people who they bought him fallacious. ‘Do not simply see me as a slogger, I am far more than that.’
“Folks stated, ‘Oh, that is simply bravado,’ however he knew his recreation, and I believe Suryavanshi has that very same perspective.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi Twitter
“Suryavanshi is the trendsetter by way of modern-day, three-format participant. He is seen as only a six-hitter and a boundary hitter, I believe he is greater than that.”
Whereas white ball cricket will dominate India’s schedule this yr, subsequent January and February’s five-Take a look at collection towards Australia looms massive on the worldwide schedule.
The collection additionally comes slightly greater than a yr after India’s subsequent technology of stars have been left shell-shocked by South Africa on dwelling soil, shedding 2-0.
Kerry O’Keeffe. fox sports activities
Would you rule out Suryavanshi enjoying towards Australia within the Border-Gavaskar collection?
“I believe he and Jaiswal is perhaps an choice for them on the high,” O’Keeffe stated. “I might roll the cube and go Jaiswal, Suryavanshi, [Shubman] Gill at three and [KL] Rahul someplace.”
Ought to that happen, Suryavanshi would nonetheless be 15 – virtually a yr youthful than Tendulkar when he debuted towards Pakistan aged 16 years, 205 days.
Sachin Tendulkar when he debuted towards Pakistan aged 16 years, 205 days. Ben Radford/Getty
O’Keeffe stated enjoying positively was nonetheless the best manner of curbing Australia’s assault, and the previous leg-spinner insisted that Suryavanshi’s free-scoring method, the place he has already seen off the likes of Cummins and Josh Hazlewood within the IPL, might show damaging on the high of the order.
“You have to be optimistic towards [Mitchell] Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood,” O’Keeffe stated.
“You may’t allow them to get into rhythm and this man might trigger actual issues on the high of the order.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi of India waits to take the sector as opening batsman. Getty
“He hit Pat for a six the opposite night time, I noticed. They’re used to individuals making an attempt to outlive towards them, and this man’s going to counterattack them. It is mouth-watering to ponder that.
“Suryavanshi towards one in every of our greatest tempo assaults ever.”
In an period the place million-dollar contracts in franchise cricket are as soon as once more threatening the way forward for the crimson ball recreation, O’Keeffe stated rising gamers like Suryavanshi might make sure the longest format of the sport thrives into the longer term.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals play a shot throughout a 2025 IPL match. Getty
“Though they discuss concerning the leisure stage of T20, he can add that dimension to a five-day check as a result of, like with Warner and other people like that, you wish to be there at 11 o’clock to observe him stroll out.
“The way forward for Take a look at cricket might be in of us like him as a result of he can present that leisure stage you can get in a five-day recreation.
“Folks stated you possibly can solely get it in a T20 recreation, however this child might present it. I want he lived in Mosman or Hurstville.”
