Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is just 15: Dinesh Karthik warns against Sachin Tendulkar comparisons
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has cautioned against burdening teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with comparisons to batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, stressing that the youngster's challenges will be very different in the modern era.
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has warned against comparing teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to batting great Sachin Tendulkar, saying the 15-year-old should not be burdened with such expectations so early in his career.
Sooryavanshi has been one of the standout performers of IPL 2026 for Rajasthan Royals. The left-handed opener has scored 579 runs in 13 matches and leads the run charts with a strike rate of 236.32.
Speaking in an upcoming episode of the Quest Talk podcast by iQOO, Karthik said comparisons with Sachin were unnecessary despite the youngster's remarkable performances.
"What Vaibhav is doing is very special, but what I don't want the people to do is tag him as the next Sachin because he is just 15 years old and doing what he is doing," Karthik said.
"I think what Sachin did was extraordinary. Vaibhav's challenges will be completely different."
Karthik said young cricketers today face far more off-field pressure because of social media and public attention.
"Sachin's challenges would have been as much on the field as they were off the field, but Vaibhav's challenges will definitely be more off-field, because he possesses a lot of cricketing skills, dealing with everything that comes outside the sport," he added.
Sooryavanshi's fearless batting has made him one of the biggest stories of the season. The teenager has impressed with his attacking approach against experienced bowlers and is already being seen as one of Indian cricket's brightest prospects.
Karthik also spoke about how the IPL has changed since it began in 2008.
"IPL, from its start to what it is today, is a completely different beast, and it's like the sport has grown on steroids because a lot of things have changed," Karthik said.
"The amount of data and matrix used has been quite phenomenal; it's the fastest-growing format that ever existed, and it's a lifestyle provider for a lot of people."
Karthik, who is currently the batting coach and mentor of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, said the league has become a major career opportunity for young players.
"And it seems like a very strong career option for any young boy or girl choosing to play the sport. And it's competing with other sports tournaments in the world in a very short period of time," he added.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has warned against comparing teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to batting great Sachin Tendulkar, saying the 15-year-old should not be burdened with such expectations so early in his career.
Sooryavanshi has been one of the standout performers of IPL 2026 for Rajasthan Royals. The left-handed opener has scored 579 runs in 13 matches and leads the run charts with a strike rate of 236.32.
Speaking in an upcoming episode of the Quest Talk podcast by iQOO, Karthik said comparisons with Sachin were unnecessary despite the youngster's remarkable performances.
"What Vaibhav is doing is very special, but what I don't want the people to do is tag him as the next Sachin because he is just 15 years old and doing what he is doing," Karthik said.
"I think what Sachin did was extraordinary. Vaibhav's challenges will be completely different."
Karthik said young cricketers today face far more off-field pressure because of social media and public attention.
"Sachin's challenges would have been as much on the field as they were off the field, but Vaibhav's challenges will definitely be more off-field, because he possesses a lot of cricketing skills, dealing with everything that comes outside the sport," he added.
Sooryavanshi's fearless batting has made him one of the biggest stories of the season. The teenager has impressed with his attacking approach against experienced bowlers and is already being seen as one of Indian cricket's brightest prospects.
Karthik also spoke about how the IPL has changed since it began in 2008.
"IPL, from its start to what it is today, is a completely different beast, and it's like the sport has grown on steroids because a lot of things have changed," Karthik said.
"The amount of data and matrix used has been quite phenomenal; it's the fastest-growing format that ever existed, and it's a lifestyle provider for a lot of people."
Karthik, who is currently the batting coach and mentor of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, said the league has become a major career opportunity for young players.
"And it seems like a very strong career option for any young boy or girl choosing to play the sport. And it's competing with other sports tournaments in the world in a very short period of time," he added.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
