Vaibhav Suryavanshi's century has 'surpassed Tendulkar emerging onto the scene': Nasser Hussain makes staggering claim
Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, took note of Vaibhav Suryavanshi's stunning century against GT.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi became a household name earlier this week when he stunned experts and fans alike by smashing an incredible 35-ball century for the Rajasthan Royals during their match against the Gujarat Titans. Suryavanshi, 14, became the youngest to score a century in the league and the fastest Indian to reach the three-figure mark in the tournament's history.
Justifiably, the teenager's scintillating knock kickstarted a wave of reactions, with England's former captain Nasser Hussain also expressing his sheer surprise at Suryavanshi's talent. Speaking to fellow former England skipper Michael Atherton, Hussain lauded the depth in Indian cricket and also highlighted the impact of IPL, stating that it is making a difference in states which don't have a particularly strong cricketing legacy.
“It was absolutely unbelievable. Things like this still happen in India. You go back to watching the great Sachin Tendulkar emerging onto the scene, but this even surpasses that. It is unbelievable for a 14-year-old. That's what everyone is saying... what was I doing when I was 14! I was in U15, trying to score some runs. And he's scoring a hundred against some of the best bowlers in the world in 35 deliveries, looking like that's what he's meant to be doing,” Hussain told Sky Sports Cricket.
“It's also the story of Indian cricket. The strength is in their depth. Yet another young domestic player to get a hundred. It's also about how the IPL is growing in parts of India, which historically haven't produced great players. He's from the state of Bihar, which hasn't produced great international cricketers. He looks like he has a great future for himself,” said Hussain further.
Rajasthan Royals bought Suryavanshi for INR 1.1 crore in the IPL 2025 auction last year, following his exploits in the domestic circuit. The youngster was also a part of India's U19 World Cup squad that reached the final last year.
Suryavanshi back in action today
The youngster will return to action later on Thursday when the Royals take on Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians in an important IPL 2025 clash. From now on, every match is a virtual knockout for RR, with the franchise having only three wins in nine matches this season.
The match-ups in the clash will be particularly interesting as Suryavanshi will be taking on two of the leading pacers in white-ball formats – Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult.
