'Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been made by God for this sport' - Kiran More draws parallel between RR prodigy and Sachin Tendulkar amid IPL 2026

Published - 22 May 2026, 19:40 IST | Updated - 22 May 2026, 19:52 IST

Former India wicketkeeper Kiran More recalled how he felt while watching Sachin Tendulkar bat for the first time and said that he gets similar vibes when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi torments bowlers.

Sooryavanshi took the cricket fraternity by storm last season in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he smashed a swashbuckling century against the Gujarat Titans (GT) while playing for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). This season, in the IPL, he has built on his impressive start, amassing 579 runs in 13 innings at an average of 44.54 and a strike rate of 236.33. The 15-year-old has made a strong case for himself as he hopes to earn a maiden call-up to the Indian side for the T20I series against Ireland next month.

“When I first saw Sachin Tendulkar, who came in the Indian team for the first time and batted against a great bowler, I knew right away that he was something special. The same is with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi; he is special," More was quoted as saying by News18 Cricket Next.

“It is a good thing that we have such a player. He is going to bring great glory to the country. Let him play the way he does. He has been made and well prepared by god for this sport," he added.

Tendulkar is considered one of the finest to have played the sport. He is the leading run-getter in Test matches and ODIs. He made his debut at the age of 16 years and 205 days and remains the youngest to do so for the Indian men's team. However, Sooryavanshi could be the one who breaks the record.

The Royals will seal the fourth playoff spot if they can win their last game in the league stage. They will face the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, May 24.

Karthik cautions against overburdening Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

The Royals are coming into this game on the back of a comprehensive seven-wicket win against the Lucknow Super Giants as they chase down a 221-run target with seven wickets and five deliveries to spare on the back of a 38-ball 93 from Sooryavanshi.