'It is too early to call anybody a sensation' - Sunil Gavaskar sends strong message on Vaibhav Suryavanshi's hype

Published - 19 Jan 2026, 22:13 IST | Updated - 19 Jan 2026, 22:32 IST

Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has requested fans and experts to control the growing hype around teenage sensations like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. While accepting the youngster’s exceptional talent, Gavaskar stated that labels and excessive attention could place unnecessary pressure on players still in the early stages of their development.

Suryavanshi has taken Indian cricket by storm over the past year. The 14-year-old stunned the world by hitting a six off the first ball of his IPL career for Rajasthan Royals during the 2025 season. He followed it up with a 35-ball century in just his third IPL match, becoming the youngest player to score a List A century and the fastest to reach 150 runs in ODI cricket.

The teenager continued his prolific run in Youth ODIs against England, Australia, and South Africa. Notably, expectations have increased ahead of the ongoing U19 Men’s World Cup, where he is viewed as one of India’s biggest match-winners. The former revealed how success at the junior level does not automatically translate into sustained excellence at higher levels.

“It is too early to call anybody a sensation, as time and again it has been seen that there is a huge gap between Under-19 cricket and first-class cricket, not to speak of international cricket,” he wrote in his Mid-Day column.

Suryavanshi's U19 run could hurt him: Ex-India cricketer

Gavaskar also pointed to the consequences of reckless batting, referencing India U19’s crushing 191-run loss to Pakistan U19 in the Asia Cup final. He noted that some batters, influenced by their IPL experiences, played with excessive aggression and paid the price. According to Gavaskar, this mindset can be dangerous, especially in tournament cricket, where discipline and adaptability are key.

“Yes, it’s a young group, inexperienced too and that’s why it’s important for a senior player and mentor to tell them that however ordinary the attack, one mistake can mean you are back in the dugout. Let’s hope that they forget thoughts of IPL and focus on the job at hand and that is to win the Trophy once again. Go for it youngsters," he added.

The youngster, after scoring just two runs against the USA, bounced back with a 72 against Bangladesh in Bulawayo, helping India secure their second win in as many matches. Former India women’s coach WV Raman has also shared similar concerns, suggesting that playing U19 cricket immediately after the IPL could be detrimental to long-term growth.