It feels like only yesterday that a young Virat Kohli donned the India jersey for the first time back in 2008, while the legendary Sachin Tendulkar was still gracing the pitch. Though Tendulkar had a few years left in him, the cricketing world was already preparing for a future without its icon. When he eventually retired, fans wondered if anyone could come close to replicating his greatness. Yet, within a few years, Kohli emerged as a modern legend in his own right—especially after his stellar 2016 season, which many considered the defining year of his career, akin to Tendulkar’s unforgettable 1998.
Kohli, who went on to shatter record after record, even surpassed Tendulkar’s ODI century tally by 2023—something once thought impossible. But now, in 2025, with Kohli having stepped away from two formats and possibly nearing the end of his career, the hunt for Indian cricket’s next big icon is underway.
BCCI Believes in Gill, But Is He The One?
While the BCCI sees promise in Shubman Gill, many feel his achievements so far don’t quite match the heights scaled by Kohli or Tendulkar at similar ages. Other contenders like Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer have faded from the spotlight or face inconsistency.
Enter Vaibhav Suryavanshi: The Teen Prodigy Taking IPL by Storm
According to former England fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom, the real heir to India’s cricketing throne might already be making headlines—14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The young talent made a jaw-dropping IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals, smashing a stunning century against Punjab Kings. His performance lit up the league and captured national attention, with the youngster reportedly receiving over 500 missed calls following his heroics.
“𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒎. 𝑽𝒂𝒊𝒃𝒉𝒂𝒗’𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒔—𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒚, ‘𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕,’” 𝑺𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂.
The cricket world is now watching closely. Could Vaibhav Suryavanshi be the next generational talent to carry the legacy of Indian cricket forward?
Also Read: PCB Takes Massive Step: Mandatory Fitness Standards for Centrally-Contracted Cricketers
