The former Australian captain also praised the 14-year-old for his maiden IPL century, which came in the match against the Gujarat Titans. During the game against the Shubman Gill-led side, Vaibhav played a blistering knock of 101 runs off just 38 deliveries
Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Pic: File Pic)
In IPL 2025, Indian cricket has unearthed another exciting talent in the form of Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Suryavanshi. However, former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh expressed disbelief, saying that the real challenge for the youngster will be to stay composed.
"As a 14-year-old, he had no concept of pressure...just play with complete freedom, so that was great to watch. I guess for him the challenge will be to keep it under control," said Waugh during a media interaction alongside Anil Kumble, Matthew Hayden and Robin Uthappa on 'Australian Summer of Cricket 2025-26.
Furthermore, the former Australian captain also praised the 14-year-old for his maiden IPL century, which came in the match against Gujarat Titans. During the game against the Shubman Gill-led side, Vaibhav played a blistering knock of 101 runs off just 38 deliveries.
"I watched that century and I just couldn't believe how well he struck the ball and how easy he was hitting the sixes and how relaxed he was," said the 59-year-old.
RR’s young prodigy also registered the fastest century in IPL history by an Indian.
Waugh also questioned the youngster’s approach going forward. "Can he play the same way with the same enthusiasm, the same freedom as he has done this year? That'll be his challenge," he remarked.
"He's got a lot of skill, he's mentally tough and he's got a great backstory, so you want to see someone like that be successful. It's a great story for cricket and for me watching from a long way away," Waugh added, referring to the well-documented sacrifices made by Vaibhav’s parents to support his career.
"I don't get to watch a lot of IPL games because it's probably (in) the wrong time of the day. But then, when someone like that comes along, you want to watch the game so he's a fantastic attraction for the sport," he concluded.
The Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2025 campaign ended with just four wins from 14 matches. The side suffered defeats in the remaining 10 games, finishing ninth on the points table with a net run rate (NRR) of -0.549 and eight points.
(With PTI Inputs)
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