England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler has hailed India Under-19 World Cup winner Vaibhav Suryavanshi as the best player he has ever seen. His comments
come ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which is set to begin in the last week of March. Vaibhav smashed 175 off 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final against England, which India won by 100 runs on February 6 in Harare.
Buttler noted that he watched the World Cup final on television and praised the 14-year-old, saying he played some of the best shots he had ever seen. Suryavanshi struck 15 fours and 15 sixes in the final and went on to win both the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards after scoring 439 runs in seven games.
“I was watching it on TV, just thinking, these are not just any old shots; they're some of the best shots you've ever seen. My statement is, he's the best player I've ever seen, because I'm like, how? Who else was doing this at 14 years old? If he's doing that at 14, what's he going to be doing at 16, 18, 20?,” said Buttler on the ‘For The Love of Cricket’ podcast.
Buttler conceded that had Suryavanshi not already showcased his talent in the IPL, many would have dismissed it as just another Under-19 World Cup performance and waited to see how he fared in senior cricket.
“And, you know, if he hadn't played in the IPL, you'd say, "Oh, he's only done it in the Under-19 World Cup, and yes, it's amazing, but let's see when he steps up to senior cricket." But he's already played, he's got 100 in the IPL. He hit his first ball in the IPL for six,” said Buttler.
“You could arguably say it wasn't methodical, he just swung and played amazing. But in the game he got 70-odd, it was like against Chennai, and Ashwin and Jadeja were bowling, and he whacked one for six, then sort of tapped one off his hip and trotted down the other end like a seasoned pro, just seeing his team home,” he added.
Buttler expressed that he sees nothing holding Suryavanshi back from reaching new heights and hopes the youngster has the right people around him to guide his journey. He also compared Suryavanshi to legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut at 16, while noting that there was no social media at the time and far less attention around young cricketers.
“I can't imagine what can derail that sort of. I suppose you hope that he's got some good people around him who will look after him. Because, as you know, cricket in India, the profile that he now has as a 14-year-old, is unprecedented. This is, I imagine, new for anyone. Sachin Tendulkar made his debut at 16, didn't he? So maybe he was being talked about at this age, but without social media, without so many people seeing you, and without the IPL,” said Buttler.
“But yeah, I think if they look after him, you would assume he'll just go on to get better and better. So, yeah, I think he's a pleasure to watch. It's at, what are we now, 35, 36? It's like, you know, it's inspiring and also demoralizing at the same time, isn't it? Let's just give it up if 14-year-old kids are playing like this,” he added.
