Robin Uthappa says Sooryavanshi could eclipse Tendulkar in white-ball cricket
Uthappa said Sooryavanshi could surpass Tendulkar's white-ball impact if managed well.
Former India batter Robin Uthappa believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has the potential to leave a bigger mark on white-ball cricket than Sachin Tendulkar. Uthappa warned that the 15-year-old's long-term success will depend on how carefully his career is managed.
Uthappa cited the examples of Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw as talented players whose careers lost momentum. He said Sooryavanshi's first test will be staying focused on cricket over the next five years rather than getting distracted by fame and commercial opportunities.
Sooryavanshi was named Player of the Series after scoring 151 runs at an average of 50.33 in India's 3-0 T20I sweep of Zimbabwe. He jumped 230 places in the ICC T20I batting rankings to reach a career-best 48th position.
CricHubb Take
Uthappa's warning about distractions is specific. Sooryavanshi has already turned down every advertisement offer. The next five years will test whether that discipline survives the attention that comes with turning 18.