Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could have bigger impact on white-ball cricket than Sachin Tendulkar, says Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa has assessed that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi possesses the potential to make a greater mark on white-ball cricket than Sachin Tendulkar. The 15-year-old has already demonstrated exceptional ability in recent competitions at both international and domestic levels. Uthappa's evaluation comes following Sooryavanshi's standout displays in India's assignment against Zimbabwe and the IPL 2026 season.

The former India batter offered his perspective on the young player's future, acknowledging both his talent and the challenges ahead. Uthappa weighed the promise Sooryavanshi has shown against the need for careful stewardship of his career.

"Could he have an impact on white-ball cricket a lot more than paaji (Tendulkar)? Yeah, maybe he could. But how he's managed is going to be important," Uthappa said on CommBoxTV.

Cautionary examples from Indian cricket history

Uthappa drew parallels with previous young talents who emerged through Indian cricket's ranks but failed to sustain their early promise. He cited the examples of Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw, both of whom generated considerable excitement when they were teenagers.

"We've seen exciting players come through the ranks in Indian cricket before. We saw Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw, and people started asking what they would become when they were 17-18 years old. What are they going to become? And then suddenly they fall off the wagon," Uthappa said.

Sooryavanshi's recent performances

Sooryavanshi finished as the highest run-scorer and Player of the Series in India's three-match assignment against Zimbabwe. In IPL 2026, he emerged as the highest run-getter and struck 72 sixes to break Chris Gayle's record for most sixes in an IPL season. These performances underlined his exceptional ability in white-ball formats at a remarkably young age.

Uthappa emphasised that Sooryavanshi's ability to maintain his focus and discipline over the coming years would be crucial to his development. The former batter highlighted the player's current commitment to cricket above all other pursuits, noting his maturity in declining commercial opportunities.

"That will be Vaibhav's first test, so to speak. Can he stay pristine for the game over a period of five years? He's 15 now, so can he stay pristine till he's 20? There are enough people to take care of him, and he should focus on the game itself. When we listen to everything that he says, there's so much innocence in who he is." Uthappa said.

"I love the fact that he's saying no to every advertisement and every deal that is coming his way, and he's focusing only on cricket. He is being perceived as a child. When he's 18, he'll start being perceived as a man, and the female attention will come. That can distract people as well," he added.

Uthappa's assessment reflected broader concerns about managing young talent in modern cricket. While acknowledging that Sooryavanshi should not be isolated from the outside world, Uthappa stressed that maintaining focus on cricket remained paramount. His comments suggested that Sooryavanshi's trajectory would depend significantly on how he navigated the various pressures and opportunities that accompanied early success in professional cricket.