In a world brimming with cricketing talent, two teenagers are making headlines with extraordinary performances—India’s 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and South Africa’s rising star Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 19.
Former Australian cricketer and commentator Kerry O’Keeffe has named the duo among his top three teenage cricketers in the world right now, alongside England’s promising 17-year-old batter Thomas Rew. “Sooryavanshi, Pretorius, and Rew are the future of cricket. Vaibhav’s explosive batting is redefining T20, while Lhuan-dre’s calmness in Tests is remarkable for his age,” O’Keeffe said during the ongoing Australia vs South Africa T20 series.
Sooryavanshi was the breakout star of IPL 2025. Playing for Rajasthan Royals, he smashed a 35-ball century—the fastest by any player in the tournament’s history—and finished with 252 runs in seven games at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 206.56, winning the ‘Super Striker of the Season’ award.
The young southpaw carried that form into the India U19 vs England U19 ODI series, scoring 355 runs in five matches. His 143 off 78 balls in the fourth ODI made him the youngest centurion in Youth ODI history. He’s now set to represent India U19 on their tour of Australia starting September 21.
On the other hand, Lhuan-dre Pretorius created history by becoming the youngest South African to score a Test hundred. His 153 off 160 balls on debut against Zimbabwe not only broke Graeme Pollock’s 60-year-old record but also made him the youngest player in Test history to score 150 on debut.
Both Sooryavanshi and Pretorius were part of the Rajasthan Royals setup in IPL 2025 and are now considered future superstars of world cricket.
