Sachin Tendulkar Warns Against Putting Pressure on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's sensational IPL 2026 season has earned admiration from across the cricketing world, and now India's batting icon Sachin Tendulkar has joined the growing list of admirers.

The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals batter emerged as one of the biggest stories of the season after scoring 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.31. He also smashed 72 sixes, breaking Chris Gayle's long-standing IPL record of 59 sixes in a single season.

Speaking at the Cricinfo Honours in Mumbai, where he was recognised as the Best Men's International Batter of the 21st Century, Tendulkar described the teenager as a rare talent whose batting has left a deep impression on him.

"Everyone is talking about Sooryavanshi, and I watched him bat - it was magnificent," Tendulkar said, as per ESPNcricinfo. "I mean, he is something truly special. And not just the ability to hit the ball, but what also fascinated me was the wrist work that he has,” he added.

"To be able to play in all directions of the ground, you need good wrist work. And he is not slogging the ball. He is just picking the line and length earlier than the rest of the guys, and he is able to clear the rope comfortably," he added.

What advice does Tendulkar have for the teenage sensation?

While the hype surrounding Sooryavanshi continues to grow, Tendulkar believes the youngster's greatest strength lies in his natural instincts and confidence at the crease.

The cricket legend stressed that the teenager should be allowed to remain true to his game instead of being burdened by expectations or excessive technical advice.

"I would tell him to just be himself," he said. "There is always a first time. In Test cricket, along with age, he will learn how to deal with various challenges. [It's about] having a solution-oriented mindset. Problems are always going to be there. Problems will be there till the last day of your career, till the last ball you face. The bowler is asking a question with every ball. Now, what solutions do you find? He's kind of a player who looks very confident, very, very sure of what he wants to do, and I would not want to play around with his natural instincts," Tendulkar said.

Why does Tendulkar want Sooryavanshi to avoid information overload?

According to Tendulkar, one of the biggest risks for a young player is receiving too much advice too soon.

He warned that over-coaching could interfere with the instinctive decision-making that has made Sooryavanshi such a dangerous batter.

"The way he sees the ball and the way he responds to that, if that signal is interrupted - if you put a lot of hurdles in between that by telling him multiple things - that's where the real challenge would be. I would give him the freedom to go out and bat the way he does. Along with time, he will learn to deal with other challenges of the game," he said.

Could Sooryavanshi become a Test cricketer for India?

Tendulkar believes Sooryavanshi has the talent to succeed across formats and hopes to see him play Test cricket in the future. However, he cautioned against rushing the teenager's development or creating unnecessary pressure around team selection.

"Not just me, but everyone would want to see him [playing Test cricket] at some stage. I don't know when that is going to happen. But an exciting talent needs encouragement. And if he's doing well, then we need to encourage and support him and enjoy above all and not put pressure on him constantly, you know, he should play this, or he shouldn't be doing this, or he should be picked in whatever squad. Leave that to the guys [selectors] who are responsible for that," the veteran concluded.

With a record-breaking IPL campaign already behind him, Sooryavanshi has rapidly established himself as one of India's most exciting young cricket prospects. For Tendulkar, the focus now should be on support, patience and allowing the teenager's extraordinary talent to flourish naturally.

(With inputs from ANI)