'It was Sachin Tendulkar': Shashi Tharoor makes bold Sooryavanshi claim

NEW DELHI: India’s cricket world has found a new talking point, and his name is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. At just 14 years old, the young batter continues to stun fans, experts, and former players with performances that feel almost unreal for his age.

His latest heroics in domestic cricket have once again put him firmly in the spotlight.Veteran politician and cricket enthusiast Shashi Tharoor summed up the excitement around the teenager with a bold comparison. Reacting to Sooryavanshi's latest feat, Tharoor wrote on X, "The last time a fourteen year old showed such prodigious cricketing talent, it was Sachin Tendulkar — and we all know what became of him. What are waiting for? Vaibhav Suryavanshi for India!"Sooryavanshi made headlines on Wednesday after blasting a breathtaking 36-ball century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Plate league opener for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh at the JSCA Oval Ground.

This became the second-fastest century by an Indian in List A cricket, only behind Anmolpreet Singh’s 35-ball ton last season. Globally, it stands as the joint fourth-fastest List A century ever.The young left-hander did not stop there. He raced to 150 in just 54 balls and was finally dismissed for a staggering 190 off 84 deliveries. Bihar piled up a massive 574 for 6 in 50 overs, before bowling Arunachal Pradesh out for 177 to seal a crushing 397-run victory.

Earlier this month, Sooryavanshi smashed an unbeaten 108 off 61 balls in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Maharashtra at Eden Gardens. That knock made him the youngest player ever to score a century in the tournament, at just 14 years and 250 days.He also holds the record for the highest score by an Indian in U19 Asia Cup history, scoring 171 off 95 balls against the UAE. The teenager has already scored centuries against Australia U19 and for India A, including a jaw-dropping 144 off 42 balls in the Rising Stars Asia Cup.