Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is Compared To Pakistan Great cricketer
A fifteen-year-old boy from Bihar, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, has been making headlines in sports media for several months now. In this IPL 2026 season, he does things that make spectators clutch their heads and experienced players just shrug their shoulders. 680 runs in the tournament, lead in the Orange Cap Race, and in the eliminator match – 97 runs from 29 innings. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is Compared to Pakistan Great cricketer. Just three points were not enough to break the record for the fastest century in league history.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is Compared To Pakistan Great cricketer: why fans went wild
And now former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yusuf has entered the conversation. He posted a short but powerful message on his X (formerly Twitter) account: “15 year old cricketing phenom Vaibhav Suryavanshi reminds me of a young Shahid Afridi – cocky, explosive, full of energy. The future is already here!” Yusuf even tagged Afridi himself. Legendary Pakistani player praises Indian prodigy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is Compared To Pakistan Great cricketer. However, the Internet did not explode with delight.
Many fans were hostile to the comparison. “How dare you compare Vaibhav with a ball eater, that Saheed Afridi?” — the user writes. Another says: “Afridi was a mediocre player. Stop comparing the world’s best talent, Suryavanshi, to him.” A third commenter snaps harshly: “Boss, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is not a blind hammer blower like Afridi.” Statistics are also mentioned: Afridi’s average in ODIs is just 22. And against this background, the comparison seems insulting. Some even called Yusuf’s post “the biggest humiliation in the life of a young player,” advising him to quickly forget about it and move on.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is Compared To Pakistan Great cricketer: Yusuf was misunderstood
It is difficult to say whether Mohammad Yusuf expected such a reaction. After all, he clearly wanted to emphasize not statistics, but temperament. For those who don’t remember, Afridi burst onto the cricket scene in 1996 when, at the age of 16, he smashed 37 balls, 102 runs in his first ODI innings. This record for the fastest century lasted almost 18 years. Afridi was living proof that age is no barrier when you have fearlessness. We are seeing roughly the same thing now from Suryavanshi. The guy goes against the best scorers in the world, as if he were playing in the yard with friends. This is most likely what Yusuf meant when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is Compared To Pakistan Great cricketer.
The only problem is: in the minds of fans, Afridi has long turned not into the image of a daring debutant, but into a symbol of instability, frivolous blows and eternal unfulfilled hopes. Yes, he could have won the match, but he could have lost it in three goals. He has a huge number of fans, but no less critics. And Suryavanshi today is no longer just an “energetic boy”. He is compared to Bradman and Tendulkar. In a recent interview with Chris Gayle, the all-rounder said that he had not seen such natural talent since his younger days. And against this background, the phrase “like Afridi” sounds almost rude.
Imagine the reaction of an Indian cricket fan who has just enjoyed the extravaganza of 97 points in the eliminator – and then he is told: “Your idol looks like the same Afridi who averaged 22.”
By the way, against this background, the words of Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel look funny. In the pre-match press conference ahead of Qualifier 2, he admitted, “We have watched the video, we have a plan to eliminate Vaibhav early. Hope we can make it happen.” But he immediately added: “We need to stop talking about his age. He is simply a phenomenal talent.”
On the one hand, Suryavanshi’s numbers speak for themselves: he is a leader, he is a record holder, he is the future of Indian cricket. On the other hand, any loud comparison is immediately brought to the attention of the public, where everyone has their own opinion. And these opinions may be different. Some consider Afridi an icon of courage, others consider him overrated. Given this difference in perception, Yusuf’s post was doomed to scandal.
And one more point that is often overlooked. Mohammad Yusuf is Pakistani. Afridi is also Pakistani. And when a Pakistani legend praises an Indian boy through the lens of his national star, there is a certain amount of possessiveness involved. “Look, we had those too.” And here Indian fans, naturally, react sharply.
But let’s face it: Vaibhav himself probably doesn’t need all these comparisons. The guy just goes out and scores points where experienced players cannot. On Friday he will face the Mohammed Siraj-Kagiso Rabada pair. This is not a joke. If he succeeds, he will rise to new heights. If not, there is still a long road ahead. One user on X wrote, perhaps harshly but to the point: “Being compared to Afridi is the lowest point of his career, and it’s good that it happened so early. Now no negativity will break him.”
Maybe it’s true that every absurdity has its own benefit. And if you are compared to Afridi at 15, the world has not collapsed. This is just another reason to prove that you are you. And then whatever happens. Eventually, Afridi’s famous record fell, , and quite quickly. And Suryavanshi’s records are just beginning to count down.
