Renowned Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has asked supporters and experts to curb the escalating excitement around young talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Gavaskar acknowledged the young player’s extraordinary talent but said that labels and undue attention could put undue pressure on kids who are still in the early phases of their growth.
Over the past year, Suryavanshi has dominated Indian cricket. During the 2025 season, the 14-year-old astonished everyone by hitting a six off the first ball of his IPL career while playing for the Rajasthan Royals. In just his third IPL game, he backed it up with a century off 35 balls, becoming him the youngest player to achieve 150 runs in ODI cricket and the youngest to record a List A century.
Against South Africa, Australia, and England, the teenager carried on his successful run in Youth ODIs. He is thought to be one of India’s biggest match-winners, therefore expectations have significantly raised ahead of the current U19 Men’s World Cup. The former demonstrated that continuous performance at higher levels does not always follow from achievement at the junior level.
In his Mid-Day column, he stated, “It is too early to call anybody a sensation, as it has been repeatedly observed that there is a huge gap between Under-19 cricket and first-class cricket, not to mention international cricket.”
Hopefully, they won’t think about the IPL: Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar also used the devastating 191-run loss against Pakistan U19 in the Asia Cup final to highlight the negative effects of careless batting. He pointed out that several batters batted with excessive aggression and suffered as a result, motivated by their IPL experiences. Gavaskar says that this kind of thinking can be harmful, particularly in tournament cricket, where flexibility and discipline are essential.
Yes, the team is young and inexperienced, therefore it’s critical that a mentor and senior player remind them that no matter how well they execute an assault, one error might land them back in the dugout. Hopefully, they will put the IPL out of their minds and concentrate on their current task, which is to win the trophy once more. “Young people, go for it,” he continued.
The teenage player recovered with a 72 against Bangladesh in Bulawayo, helping India win their second straight game after scoring only two runs against the USA. Similar worries have been voiced by former India women’s coach WV Raman, who suggested that playing U19 cricket right after the IPL would be harmful to long-term development.
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