Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can eclipse Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar: South Africa Legend makes huge claim

Former South African pace legend Dale Steyn has made a stunning prediction about India's teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying the 15-year-old is destined to become an all-time great who will overshadow even the towering legacies of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.

The left-handed batting prodigy has taken the cricket world by storm. After claiming the Orange Cap in IPL 2026 with a staggering 776 runs, Sooryavanshi has now received his maiden call-up to India's senior T20 squad for the upcoming series in Ireland and England.

Steyn, one of the greatest fast bowlers of his generation, did not hold back in his assessment of the young talent.

"Sooryavanshi is a different gravy, man! He's better than most international players right now. He is a boy wonder, somebody who is a treasure for Indian cricket."

While full of admiration, the former South African pace spearhead also sounded a note of caution for those managing the youngster’s career. He warned that the immense expectations and heavy workload could potentially derail such a promising journey if not handled properly.

"You think of guys like Sachin, Virat, and this kid is going to explode. He's going to be bigger than both of them put together at the end of his career," the South African added.

"So, I would caution how you manage him and look after him because with great responsibility comes great reward. But there's a big threat there that you could lose him at some point if you don't look after him well enough."

Steyn went further by offering rival bowlers a clear strategy to trouble the teenager. He highlighted Kagiso Rabada’s effective approach and stressed the value of using short-pitched deliveries to create doubt in the mind of a still-developing young batter.

"I think (Kagiso) Rabada bowled at him well. You've got to test him upstairs and he's still young, he's only 14-15, and if you can throw a little bit of fear factor into the game, I mean, cricket is a fear factor game."

Steyn’s lofty comparison to Tendulkar and Kohli is bound to dominate headlines, but his words of warning about player management carry even greater long-term importance.

Indian cricket has repeatedly seen highly talented youngsters pushed too hard too soon, only to fade under crushing pressure and relentless scrutiny. Vaibhav, just 15, has history in his sight, but the weight of expectations are also sky high.