Sooryavanshi truly special, no one should play around with his natural instincts: Tendulkar

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar hailed teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a “truly special” talent, urging coaches and mentors not to interfere with the youngster’s natural instincts as he continues his rapid rise in Indian cricket.

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After becoming the youngest centurion in IPL history during his debut season last year, Sooryavanshi elevated his reputation even further this time with a string of fearless performances against some of the world’s premier bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada, and Pat Cummins.

“Everyone is talking about Sooryavanshi, and I watched him bat — it was magnificent. 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,” Tendulkar said at Cricinfo Honours.

The 15-year-old from Samastipur in Bihar amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.31 in the IPL this season, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young prospects in the game.

“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.”

Tendulkar said that he has little doubt that Sooryavanshi possesses the talent to represent India in Test cricket in the future, but cautioned against placing excessive expectations on the teenager too early in his career.

“I would tell him to just be himself. 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 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 believes preserving that instinctive approach will be crucial to the youngster’s development.

“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.

“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. Leave that to the guys [selectors] who are responsible for that.”