Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has the potential to be bigger than Kohli, Tendulkar: Dale Steyn lauds youngster ahead of maiden India stint

Dale Steyn has played against both Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, two of the all-time greats of world cricket. The former South African pacer backed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to become a bigger cricketer than the two Indian stalwarts combined.

Sooryavanshi has taken the cricket fraternity by storm with his staggering performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. After winning the Orange Cap and a host of other major awards, Sooryavanshi received his maiden call-up to the Indian team for the T20I series against Ireland and England and the subsequent Asian Games event.

"You think of guys like Sachin, Virat, and this kid is going to explode. He's going to be bigger than both of them put together at the end of his career," Steyn said while speaking during an interaction facilitated by SA20 ahead of Season 5.

The cricketer-turned-expert admitted that while there are many talented youngsters in South Africa, no one is on par with Sooryavanshi. Steyn called him better than most international players currently playing.

"I don't think there's a wonderkid who's 14 or 15 in South Africa right now. And if there is, I'm not aware of him. I don't have my finger on the pulse as closely as some of the local scouts do. But one thing I will say is that there is no shortage of talent in South Africa. We have incredible talent coming through the system. There are outstanding Under-19 and Under-15 players progressing through the school circuit," Steyn said.

That said, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a different gravy. He's better than most international players right now. He's a genuine boy wonder and a treasure for Indian cricket," he added.

Steyn said that it will be very important for the BCCI to manage the 15-year-old well or else they will run the risk of losing him along the way.

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"So I'd be very careful about how he's managed and looked after. With great responsibility comes great reward, but there's also a risk that you could lose him along the way if he isn't handled properly," Steyn said.

"As for South Africa, no, we don't have a 14- or 15-year-old who can rival him right now. But we do have some exceptional talent, including a lot of players in their twenties who will push through and represent South Africa in the years ahead," he added.