‘Want him to be a legend’: BCCI unveils plan to groom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi like Sachin Tendulkar

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI photo) Mumbai: The BCCI is adopting a cautious path to deal with the rise of 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The board and its key officials are determined to ensure that his early success develops into a long and distinguished international career and does not fade away after a few years of fame and stardom.After Team India’s meeting at the BCCI headquarters on Thursday, board secretary Devajit Saikia said the teenager is being closely monitored and the board wants to groom him on the lines of legends like Sachin Tendulkar.“We want Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, or any player of his stature, to go on and serve like Sachin Tendulkar for the country and become a legend. We are watching him from every angle and every step he takes in his international career,” Saikia said.Sooryavanshi quickly rose from an IPL sensation to becoming India’s youngest international debutant among men. He recently became the youngest player to score a Duleep Trophy fifty, hammering 92 off 81 balls, including seven sixes, for East Zone against Central Zone in Bengaluru.Making it clear that BCCI’s focus is on longevity rather than instant success, Saikia added, “We are very careful that every step he takes forward is the right one, so that he doesn’t become a one-series or one-year wonder.”Like Tendulkar, Sooryavanshi burst onto the international stage as a teenager and quickly captured the imagination of Indian cricket fans. The left-hander earned his first India call-up after two sensational seasons with Rajasthan Royals.In IPL 2026, he amassed 776 runs in 16 matches at a staggering rate of 237.30, scoring a century and five fifties while smashing a record 72 sixes in a single season. After a slow start in England, he bounced back impressively in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs in three matches to win his first Player of the Series award.

Asian devices are not a problem

Meanwhile, Saikia said the BCCI has no immediate concerns about accommodation or facilities for the Indian cricket teams at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.“There is no such issue that we have discussed or that is on our agenda,” he said.However, he made it clear that the council would intervene if necessary.“If any situation arises, we will provide the best facilities to our players and support staff. BCCI will have its own system to provide them if required.”