Former Australia captain Steve Waugh weighed in on India's obsession with comparing any teenage sensation with the great Sachin Tendulkar, and didn't mince in his words in stating that no one can be compared with the legendary India batter, reflecting on his freakish performance in Perth as an 18-year-old where he scored a brilliant century against the likes of Craig McDermott, Merv Hughes, Paul Reiffel, and Mike Whitney.

“I don’t think you can compare anyone to Sachin Tendulkar. I mean, a 16-year-old (18-year-old) coming out to Australia and scoring a century in Perth on the hardest, (the) most unique pitch in world cricket where most players really struggle to play on a pitch,” Waugh said during a media interaction alongside Anil Kumble, Matthew Hayden, and Robin Uthappa at the ‘Australian Summer of Cricket 2025-26,’ an event organised by JioStar in collaboration with Cricket Australia and the Australian Government.

“…for him to score a century as a teenager in Perth was a freakish performance. It’s very rare you get a Sachin Tendulkar come along. But I would never have expected a 14-year-old to score a 100 in the IPL, that was unthinkable,” he said while referring to Vaibhav Suryavanshi's 38-ball 101 against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

His statement came against the backdrop of the media comparing Rajasthan's Royals' 14-year-old sensation with Tendulkar after his exploits with the bat at the top of the order this season in IPL 2025. Suryavanshi etched his name in history as the youngest-ever centurion in T20s, while also delivering the second-fastest century ever recorded in IPL history.

“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. 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,” Waugh said while talking about his record-breaking century.

“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’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,” he concluded.

Suryavanshi scored 252 runs this season for the Royals at an impressive strike rate of 206.55. Despite his exploits with the bat, the Royals had a forgettable season, having finished 9th in the points table, with 4 wins and 10 losses. Punjab Kings (PBKS), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Gujarat Titans, and the Mumbai Indians are the four teams to have qualified for the playoffs in the IPL this season. While PBKS have already cemented their place among the top two teams in the standings, RCB and GT are the other two teams fighting for a spot in Qualifier 1.

The top two teams in the points table will play in Qualifier 1, while the teams finishing in the third and fourth spots will face off in an Eliminator. The winner of the eliminator will play against the loser of Qualifier 1 for a spot in the final. The winner of Qualifier 1 will directly qualify for the final of IPL 2025.

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