Like Sachin Tendulkar, fast-track Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to Team India: Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor wants Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to be fast-tracked to the Indian team. Tharoor drew comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar and said that Vaibhav deserved higher honours.
After Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s towering hundred in the U19 World Cup final against England, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has advocated fast-tracking the prodigious batter into the senior Indian side. Tharoor took to X to state that Vaibhav is a generational talent and drew parallels with legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin, back in the late 1980s, was himself fast-tracked into the Indian team after showing extraordinary potential on the maidans of Mumbai. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, on the other hand, made his name through age-group cricket before announcing himself in spectacular fashion with a remarkable debut season in the 2025 Indian Premier League.
“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi deserves to be fast-tracked into higher honours. The last time we had a 14-year-old genius at the crease, his name was Sachin Tendulkar. And we didn’t keep him waiting long,” Tharoor wrote on X while reacting to an advertisement featuring the young batter.
U19 Final: Vaibhav’s Superhuman Innings
Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rose to the occasion for India in the U19 World Cup final. Batting on a testy pitch in Harare, Vaibhav weathered the early spells from England’s fast bowlers before responding with breathtaking shot-making of his own.
The left-hander tore into the English spinners around the end of the first powerplay and maintained the momentum for the remainder of his innings. He brought up his century in just 55 balls and soon surged to 175 off 80 deliveries before finally being dismissed.
Vaibhav’s extraordinary knock propelled India to a record total of 411 in a U19 World Cup final, a target that the Ayush Mhatre-led side went on to defend successfully.
Sachin Tendulkar’s Fast-Tracking to Team India
Sachin Tendulkar’s rise to the Indian national team remains one of the most remarkable fast-tracks in cricket history. Born in 1973, Tendulkar was just 16 when he was selected for India’s tour of Pakistan in 1989, an age when most cricketers are still finding their feet in junior cricket. What set him apart was not only prodigious talent, but an uncommon composure that convinced selectors he was ready for the highest level.
Tendulkar’s exploits in school and club cricket in Mumbai were impossible to ignore. His record-breaking partnership with Vinod Kambli at the school level had already made headlines, while consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy underlined that he was far more than a precocious teenager. The Indian selectors, searching for fearlessness and technique at the top of the order, took a bold call to introduce him early.
On debut in Karachi, Tendulkar faced a formidable Pakistani attack featuring Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Rather than being overawed, he displayed grit and balance, traits that would come to define his career. That early exposure hardened him quickly and accelerated his development.
Fast-tracking Tendulkar proved transformative for Indian cricket. Entrusted with responsibility at a young age, he grew into the team’s batting cornerstone, carrying the weight of expectations for more than two decades.
U19 Heroes Celebrated Upon Homecoming
The U19 World Cup-winning squad was received with immense fanfare upon returning home. Captain Ayush Mhatre, Henil Patel, and of course, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi were celebrated like heroes in their respective hometowns.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a cash reward of Rs 7.5 crore for the champions. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia praised the team’s dominant campaign, stating that the board was proud of the way the young side delivered under pressure on the biggest stage.
“The whole country and the BCCI are proud of our Under-19 side on their Under-19 World Cup 2026 victory. The way our team defeated England in the final, and how they remained undefeated throughout the tournament, makes us all immensely proud. The BCCI will reward the team with a Rs 7.5 crore cash prize,” Saikia said.
The U19 World Cup was India's 6th trophy overall in the competition.
After Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s towering hundred in the U19 World Cup final against England, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has advocated fast-tracking the prodigious batter into the senior Indian side. Tharoor took to X to state that Vaibhav is a generational talent and drew parallels with legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin, back in the late 1980s, was himself fast-tracked into the Indian team after showing extraordinary potential on the maidans of Mumbai. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, on the other hand, made his name through age-group cricket before announcing himself in spectacular fashion with a remarkable debut season in the 2025 Indian Premier League.
“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi deserves to be fast-tracked into higher honours. The last time we had a 14-year-old genius at the crease, his name was Sachin Tendulkar. And we didn’t keep him waiting long,” Tharoor wrote on X while reacting to an advertisement featuring the young batter.
U19 Final: Vaibhav’s Superhuman Innings
Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rose to the occasion for India in the U19 World Cup final. Batting on a testy pitch in Harare, Vaibhav weathered the early spells from England’s fast bowlers before responding with breathtaking shot-making of his own.
The left-hander tore into the English spinners around the end of the first powerplay and maintained the momentum for the remainder of his innings. He brought up his century in just 55 balls and soon surged to 175 off 80 deliveries before finally being dismissed.
Vaibhav’s extraordinary knock propelled India to a record total of 411 in a U19 World Cup final, a target that the Ayush Mhatre-led side went on to defend successfully.
Sachin Tendulkar’s Fast-Tracking to Team India
Sachin Tendulkar’s rise to the Indian national team remains one of the most remarkable fast-tracks in cricket history. Born in 1973, Tendulkar was just 16 when he was selected for India’s tour of Pakistan in 1989, an age when most cricketers are still finding their feet in junior cricket. What set him apart was not only prodigious talent, but an uncommon composure that convinced selectors he was ready for the highest level.
Tendulkar’s exploits in school and club cricket in Mumbai were impossible to ignore. His record-breaking partnership with Vinod Kambli at the school level had already made headlines, while consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy underlined that he was far more than a precocious teenager. The Indian selectors, searching for fearlessness and technique at the top of the order, took a bold call to introduce him early.
On debut in Karachi, Tendulkar faced a formidable Pakistani attack featuring Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Rather than being overawed, he displayed grit and balance, traits that would come to define his career. That early exposure hardened him quickly and accelerated his development.
Fast-tracking Tendulkar proved transformative for Indian cricket. Entrusted with responsibility at a young age, he grew into the team’s batting cornerstone, carrying the weight of expectations for more than two decades.
U19 Heroes Celebrated Upon Homecoming
The U19 World Cup-winning squad was received with immense fanfare upon returning home. Captain Ayush Mhatre, Henil Patel, and of course, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi were celebrated like heroes in their respective hometowns.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a cash reward of Rs 7.5 crore for the champions. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia praised the team’s dominant campaign, stating that the board was proud of the way the young side delivered under pressure on the biggest stage.
“The whole country and the BCCI are proud of our Under-19 side on their Under-19 World Cup 2026 victory. The way our team defeated England in the final, and how they remained undefeated throughout the tournament, makes us all immensely proud. The BCCI will reward the team with a Rs 7.5 crore cash prize,” Saikia said.
The U19 World Cup was India's 6th trophy overall in the competition.