Former England star predicts next Sachin Tendulkar of India

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar was the flag-bearer of Indian cricket for a long time. After Tendulkar's retirement, Virat Kohli stepped up and took his game where people felt even the great Tendulkar didn't. 

With Kohli announcing his retirement from T20 and Test cricket, now the question mark is who will be the next superstar of Indian cricket.

Talented aggressive batter Prithvi Shaw started his career with a promise. However, he is out of the race now. Shreyas Iyer's place in India's Test squad is even uncertain. Moreover, Shubman Gill's record at the age of 25 is too much dismal in comparison to Tendulkar and Kohli.

Under the circumstance, former England pacer Ryan Sidebottom has revealed the name of the next Tendulkar of the Indian team.

According to Sidebottom,  14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi who very recently set the IPL 2025 ablaze with a record-sizzling century for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings, is going to be the next big thing in Indian cricket.

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Sidebottom compared Suryavanshi's explosive arrival on the big stage to the debuts of cricketing icons from generations past.

"It's wonderful, isn't it? I think India, because cricket is just like everything to them. When you go over there, it's crazy. Everything is cricket. They are like your Premier League footballers over here in England. Everybody knows what they're doing, where they live, what they're up to, what games they're playing in. They are proper superstars in world cricket. So, now your Kohlis have retired and your Tendulkars, who's next? This 14-year-old who has burst onto the scene. It's almost like another Sachin Tendulkar. Already, they've unearthed this absolute gem," said Sidebottom in a recent interaction.

"I think the thing is not to get too carried away but, wow, to burst onto the scene like that in the IPL, the way he hit the ball was truly unreal. Actually, when they were saying that this 14-year-old is playing, he doesn't look 14, does he? He looks like a grown man already. He's so mature, and he's quite a big lad. But, I mean, wow, how he hit the ball and the way he played. Hitting a six as soon as he came in. I remember my first game. I was so nervous. It was horrible. He was like a duck to water. He absolutely just thrived and loved the big occasion. So, well done to him. It's great that India is talking about these youngsters once again," he added.