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Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar believes 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be given more time to gain experience in red-ball cricket before being entrusted with leadership responsibilities, saying his appointment as East Zone vice-captain for the 2026 Duleep Trophy came too early.
Tendulkar shared his views during a Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' (AMA) session on Tuesday, where he responded to questions on a range of topics, including Sooryavanshi's rise, the role played by his elder brother Ajit in his cricketing journey and his decision to stay away from promoting pan masala and gambling advertisements. Asked what he thought of Sooryavanshi being handed captaincy responsibilities at the age of 15, Tendulkar said, "I feel its too early for him to become a vice-captain in the Duleep Trophy. We have to let him play more matches with the red ball and take one step at a time!" Sooryavanshi was named vice-captain of the East Zone squad for the 2026 Duleep Trophy, with Ishan Kishan leading the side. The decision sparked debate as the teenager had played only a handful of first-class matches for Bihar and was placed in a leadership role ahead of several experienced players, including Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar. East Zone went on to win the tournament, with Sooryavanshi also taking over as captain for the semi-final after Kishan suffered a finger injury. The 15-year-old has already attracted considerable attention with his performances in the shorter formats, but Tendulkar stressed the importance of giving him time to develop his red-ball game. The 53-year-old also spoke about the contribution of his elder brother Ajit, who played a crucial role in introducing him to cricket and supporting him through the early stages of his career. Asked about an aspect of his journey that people rarely discuss but that he is particularly proud of, Tendulkar recalled how he and his brother Ajit Tendulkar shared the dream of seeing him succeed. "My brother Ajit and I shared this dream in a very special way. Whenever I was batting, he would sometimes go on long drives, just to stay away from the match updates. That was his way of coping with the pressure," said Master Blaster. Ajit introduced Tendulkar to cricket in 1984 and took him to coach Ramakant Achrekar at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. He also played a key role in ensuring that the young Tendulkar got a second opportunity to impress Achrekar after feeling self-conscious during their first meeting. Tendulkar also revealed that a promise made to his father, Ramesh Tendulkar, was the reason behind his decision not to endorse pan masala or gambling-related advertisements. Asked why he was among the few prominent cricketers who had stayed away from such promotions, the former India batter replied, "A promise made to my father." Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest batters in cricket history, enjoyed an international career spanning 1989 to 2013. He remains the only player to have scored 100 international centuries, with 51 Test hundreds and 49 in ODIs. He finished his career with 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 ODI runs, and was part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning team. Tendulkar also became the first player to feature in 200 Test matches before bringing the curtain down on his international career in November 2013. (ANI)
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