MUMBAI, Oct. 8 -- It is a comparison, however unfair it may be, that every young talented young Indian batter eventually faces. If you are good, someone will bring up Sachin Tendulkar. There are reasons related to quality and class but mostly it comes down to hope; hope that the young batter could match the feats of the Indian legend, who was never dropped after playing his first game at the age of 16 years and 238 days. Indian cricket is buzzing these days thanks to another teenager. At 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is seen as the next big thing. It is clear to almost everyone watching that the kid is something special but for now he is being made to wait for his chance. Sooryavanshi has been part of the India T20 team for some time now, but the management has currently backed the settled opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Samson appears to be the vulnerable candidate, yet he won India the 2026 T20 World Cup with three match-winning innings at the tournament's business end. There's nothing wrong with the approach but given Sooryavanshi's form, is making him wait the right choice? While there are many good batters, match-winners are a rare commodity. At the age group and India A level, Sooryavanshi has shown the rare quality of being an impact player. In his last innings as an uncapped player in June 2026, Sooryavanshi scored the fastest fifty in List A cricket, off just 11 balls, on his way to a 29-ball 94 in India A's 377/9 in a tri-series final against Sri Lanka A. In the 2026 ICC Under-19 World Cup final in February played in Harare, Sooryavanshi smashed 175 runs off 80 balls to lead India U-19 to victory. His IPL career began with a bang and he was blooded into the India T20 team this season. Former India captain and chief selector, Dilip Vengsarkar, says it is a win-win situation for the T20 side. "There's a lot of competition in the top order, apart from Samson, Abhishek and Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are also there. Everybody has to be in top form (to stake a claim). (Who will play) Depends on the situation, who is fit and in form," says Vengsarkar. Subroto Banerjee, who like Sooryavanshi also played his cricket for Bihar and was part of the India side, along with a young Tendulkar, on tours to Australia (1991-92) and South Africa (1992-93), says the teen sensation has talent for all formats but comparisons with Tendulkar are unfair. "You can't compare Sachin with anyone, Kambli was also there with Sachin but the two had completely different mindsets. Sachin was super focussed. Sachin was a product of long format. "Sooryavanshi has a unique range of shots. T20 comes easy to him. He should be kept in the T20 set-up, and at the same time, he should be groomed in domestic red-ball cricket." Chandrakant Pandit, one of India's top coaches, says Sooryavanshi has proved himself against the best bowlers in the world in IPL. "I have seen him in the IPL, Sooryavanshi has dominated top-class bowlers," said Pandit. "Once you pick him, back him, give him opportunity till it is clear whether he can cope or he can't. He definitely has the ability to dominate." Pandit added: "Samson and Abhishek have proved themselves and are in good form, it shouldn't be an injustice to them either." Former India batter Pravin Amre, who also had a stint as DC assistant coach, said the team management is cautious with the young player because of his struggles in his debut series in England this summer. Sooryavanshi scored 14, 13 and 15 in his first three innings as India lost all three T20Is against England. "They made him play in England when Sanju was dropped but the fact is India lost the series there, so the team management is also careful. Had India won, the story would have been different," said Amre. "We know he is talented, but ultimately performance counts, which is good for the Indian team as well. Otherwise we are giving him 10-15 chances just like that. He knows now that he has to perform, it will help him in the longer run."...