Vaibhav Suryavanshi, just 14 years old, is rapidly becoming a sensation in the UK. His fearless, aggressive batting style has already drawn comparisons to cricketing greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The Teen Sensation Redefining Indian Cricket
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is a superstar in the making—he already is, according to those following India U19’s exploits in England. Indian cricket producing exceptional batting talents is nothing new; there are countless examples of young batters impressing the world even before making their international debut. With the advent of the IPL, this trend has only accelerated. Yet, every once in a while, a player comes along who exceeds all expectations—and Vaibhav is quickly becoming that player.
The 14-year-old prodigy from Bihar stunned the IPL by smashing the fastest century by an Indian—off just 35 balls. Recently, he hammered a jaw-dropping 78-ball 143 against England U19 in Worcester, grabbing headlines well beyond Indian borders. English cricket fans are in awe, and comparisons with legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have already started.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi dominance is remarkable, especially considering the heavy Indian presence in England right now—the senior men’s team, led by Shubman Gill, is battling England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the women’s team under Harmanpreet Kaur is playing an ODI series after a T20I triumph, and the U19 team is engaged in a multi-format series. Even with big names around, Vaibhav has stolen the spotlight by scoring 355 runs in four ODIs at a strike rate of 174, including 27 sixes.
England fans crazy about Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Peacock revealed how British-Indians have been flocking to stadiums to watch Vaibhav Suryavanshi in action.
“People are starting to make noise about him here. Cricket fans already know who he is – even if they can’t all pronounce his name. These games usually attract a few die-hards, but there’s certainly been a little extra media attention (we’ve had the likes of BBC, The Athletic, Getty, etc.), and a lot of British-Indians have come to watch Vaibhav play in the flesh for the first time,” he said. From kids clutching autograph books to families traveling long distances just for a glimpse, the 14-year-old left-handed opener is drawing crowds rarely seen at the junior level.
“He is my role model. I like his aggressive style of batting,” said a young fan from Beckenham, thrilled after securing Suryavanshi’s autograph on the final day of the Youth Test at Kent County Cricket Ground.
Despite team management’s efforts to shield him from media glare, the buzz is only getting louder. For many in the Indian diaspora across the UK, watching Vaibhav bat feels like witnessing the birth of the next big cricket superstar.
Sanjeev, a London-based government employee, traveled over two hours with his wife just to see the teenage sensation. “I came only for Suryavanshi. I hope I can get a picture with him,” he said. However, with play stretching late into the evening, the selfie had to wait.
Even his opponents are taking note. England U-19 spinner Ralphie Albert, who bowled to Vaibhav in both the ODIs and the Youth Test, admitted being impressed by his fearless approach.
“I bowled to him throughout the ODI series. And then coming off the Test series, you’d think maybe he’d pull back a bit, but he’s kept going. But yeah, he’s a really good player,” Albert said.
