‘Sachin Tendulkar grew up in a different era’: Manjrekar amid calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India debut

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign has sparked one of Indian cricket’s biggest selection debates. The 15-year-old batting sensation from Bihar’s Samastipur amassed 776 runs in 16 matches at a staggering 237.31, smashing a record 72 sixes during the season.The extraordinary run prompted calls from several former cricketers for Sooryavanshi to be included in the Indian team quickly. The debate also revived comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international debut at the age of 16 in 1989. Sachin Tendulkar, who recently joined the discussion, praised Sooryavanshi’s talent and expressed hope that the youngster would eventually play Test cricket for India. However, the batting legend also urged fans and experts not to burden the teenager with expectations.Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has now joined the debate, rejecting a direct comparison between Tendulkar’s rise and Sooryavanshi’s current journey.“I don’t want to compare Tendulkar and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Tendulkar grew up in a different era. He made a name for himself at the age of 14 and became a teenage sensation in red-ball cricket. In his first Ranji game, first Duleep Trophy match and first Irani Trophy match. At the age of 16, he was playing in world cricket at the pace of red-ball cricket. It was easy to maintain that he is a guy who is sensational in T20 cricket in IPL, so it is different,” Manjrekar told Sportstar.Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days old when he made his international debut against Pakistan in Karachi on 15 November 1989. While many have cited this example in arguing for Sooryavanshi’s inclusion in the national team, Manjrekar believes the two cases are fundamentally different.The former Indian cricketer said it was important not to complicate things for the teenager and instead allow him to determine the direction of his career.“Like I said, let’s not complicate things for him and let him decide if he wants to play Ranji Trophy cricket. He has to fight for his place in this side and let the state selectors decide whether he’s going to add value and whether he’s going to be a good enough player. But it’s really about what he wants to do,” he said.Manjrekar stressed that managing Sooryavanshi’s career should not become a public project.“A lot of people are saying how should we handle Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and how will he do in red-ball cricket? I don’t think it’s our job to handle, or even the BCCI’s job. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is an individual and I’m sure he has people around him who are advising him, parents, coaches. It’s about what he has to do in life.Acknowledging Sooryavanshi’s immense T20 potential, Manjrekar said the youngster has several avenues available to him.“If he just wants to be a T20 sensation and focus on T20 cricket, then yes. And that shouldn’t be prevented. But then you will only be judged as a phenomenal T20 player,” he said.At the same time, Manjrekar believes Sooryavanshi has the attributes to excel in the 50-over format as well.“If he’s playing 50-over cricket, I think there’s a lot of value in certain conditions to bat in the first 10 overs and do what Rohit Sharma did in the 2023 World Cup, even better than Rohit. Give that kind of flying start that makes life easier for others. So that’s the role.”The former batsman added that Sooryavanshi’s future in red-ball cricket should be determined through the conventional route rather than his IPL exploits.“Three-day matches or four-day matches or five-day matches – he’s played some first-class matches and I don’t think he’s got a great record. But time will tell and it should be about him deciding what he wants to be in life. Because if he wants to play red-ball cricket, it’s a bit unfair that he’s being singled out for those performances.”“If only there could be some deserving players who have done the hard yards in this Bihar Ranji Trophy team. So I believe it’s about Vaibhav deciding what he wants to be as a batsman,” Manjrekar said.