'Expectancy is Tendulkar-Kohli Level'– Daniel Peacock hails India U19 star player, a fan favourite in England

Vaibhav Suryavanshi has taken the cricketing world by storm with his sensational performances during India U-19’s 3-1 Youth ODI series win over England. The 14-year-old prodigy, who had already caught eyeballs through his explosive displays for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, amassed 355 runs at a stunning strike rate of 174. His series tally included 27 sixes and a scintillating century, further strengthening his status as a generational talent.

Daniel Peacock, a prominent cricket analyst and statistician for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), revealed how Vaibhav’s brilliance is making waves far beyond Indian shores. “The first time I watched him in the flesh, though, I do remember a real air of excitement at Northamptonshire for the second one-dayer—more photos, more press, the BBC had even come to see him play,” Peacock told the Times of India.

“I knew I was watching a serious star talent. He hit 86 from 31 in a 40-over game reduced due to weather, which included six fours and nine sixes. He got a standing ovation after pulling the pacer Sebastian Morgan to backward square leg. The PA announcer, when announcing his score after the dismissal, said: ‘I think we will be seeing a lot more of this boy play.’”

“A very special young boy playing cricket”

Peacock recalled how the young sensation lit up the New Road ground in Worcestershire with a commanding all-round show. “Then at New Road, home of Worcestershire, in a near-perfect all-round performance, he strutted comfortably to 143 off 78 balls. By the time he walked off after being caught in the deep to spin, I think everyone inside the venue had long realized they had just witnessed something really special.”

He further added how Vaibhav has grown into a crowd-puller and a national name in England among cricket lovers. “People are starting to make noise about him here. Cricket fans already know who he is—even if they can't all pronounce his name. These games usually attract a few die-hards, but there's certainly been a little extra media attention (we've had the likes of BBC, The Athletic, Getty, etc.), and a lot of British-Indians have come to watch Vaibhav play in the flesh for the first time.”

“The people I've spoken to in the game—I think we all have the same feeling. We've watched and witnessed a young star in the making, something very special. I would go as far as to say he's probably the best 14-year-old in any sport that I've seen live. I think the sentiment in England is that we are watching a very special young boy playing cricket—and the expectancy is Tendulkar-Kohli-level, or even beyond,” Peacock concluded.