New Delhi: From Sachin Tendulkar to Chris Gayle, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has wooed the cricketing world with his batting from Day 1. His latest admirer is from across the border: former Pakistani international cricketer Mohammad Yousaf.
The former Pakistan skipper has heaped praise on the Rajasthan Royals opener for his aggressive style of play, saying that the southpaw reminds him of former Pakistan opener Shahid Afridi.
“15-year-old cricket sensation #Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reminds me of @SAfridiofficial young, fearless, explosive, full of energy. The future is here! #Cricket #IPL2026,” he posted Thursday on ‘X’.
15-year-old cricket sensation #Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reminds me of @SAfridiofficial young, fearless, explosive, full of energy. The future is here! 🔥🏏 #Cricket #IPL2026
— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788) May 28, 2026
Yousaf’s comment came after the opener piled up 97 runs off just 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The RR crcicketer was on the cusp of breaking Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest IPL century off 30 balls but was undone by a top-edge while attempting an uppercut. Nevertheless, his explosive innings was studded with five 4s and twelve 6s.
Sooryavanshi has been in scintillating form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), having plundered 680 runs in 15 innings at an astounding strike rate of 242.85.
To be sure, the Pakistani retired cricketer was in awe of the teenager who has already scored one century and four-half centuries in the world’s most competitive T20 tournament this year.
But, a section of X users were not amused, with comments ranging from no comparison with a blind slogger to ‘nazar mat lagao’. “Hmmm.. getting compared to a bottom tier slogger.. this is perhaps the biggest insult to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the lowest point of his life,” posted an X user.
“Sooryavanshi is actually 15, unlike that age-fraud,” another cricket fan said.
A third user was blunt in his assessment: “No comparison at all with Afridi. Vaibhav is way different!”
Afridi had made history in October 1996 when he had smashed the then fastest century in One Day International (ODI) history off just 37 deliveries at the age of 16. The record stood for over a decade before New Zealand’s Corey Anderson reached 100 in just 36 balls against the West Indies.
(Edited by Tony Rai)