5 rising teen stars poised to take over cricket

With veterans like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Steve Smith in the twilight of their iconic careers, cricket fans are on the lookout for the next generation of stars to take the torch. There's no shortage of exciting young talent ready to step up. Here are five teenage cricketers destined to shine for years to come.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (India)

Age: 14
Role: Top-order batter

Just how high are the expectations around Suryavanshi? Some people have already compared the 14-year-old phenom to Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary former India captain and one of the greatest cricketers the sport has ever seen. No pressure, kid. Mentioning anyone in the same breath as the "God of Cricket" is probably unfair, but Suryavanshi is already showing that he's destined for a brilliant career.

At 13, he became the youngest player to ever land an IPL deal, and he continued racking up records from there. Suryavanshi is the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket, accomplishing the feat in just 35 balls for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. It's no wonder there are already calls to fast-track Suryavanshi to India's senior team.

Kwena Maphaka (South Africa)

Age: 19
Role: Bowler

Currently sidelined by a hamstring injury, fans of the Proteas are eagerly awaiting the return of the pace sensation. Though Maphaka did appear in the IPL before featuring for South Africa, he truly announced himself at last year's Under-19 Cricket World Cup. The left-handed quick's 21 wickets were just one shy of the all-time tournament record, and he became the first player to collect a trio of five-wicket hauls at a single U19 World Cup.

Maphaka's dominant showing earned him Player of the Tournament honors. If recent history is any indication, he's in outstanding company - the previous three winners of the award were compatriot Dewald Brevis and Indian stars Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius (South Africa)

Age: 19
Role: Wicketkeeper-batter

Pretorius' sturdy build and obvious power have led to immediate comparisons with former South Africa captain Graeme Smith. Those are lofty heights to reach, but the left-handed opening batter, a star of his country's elite school system, has all the tools to continue his ascension.

Pretorius is the youngest South African to ever score a Test century, making a sensational 153 on his debut against Zimbabwe earlier this year. That dazzling performance, which the teenager called a "dream come true," also made Pretorius the youngest man to hit 150 in a Test match, eclipsing a record that stood since 1976. Together with Dewald Brevis, another special young batter who is only 22 himself, South Africa has a potentially dominant one-two punch for years to come.

Jewel Andrew (West Indies)

Age: 18
Role: Wicketkeeper-batter

A precocious right-handed batter, Andrew has enjoyed a rapid rise since turning heads at last year's Under-19 World Cup, where he scored 130 runs from 96 balls against South Africa. The Antiguan teen, whose maturity belies his youth, aims to emulate Shai Hope by "playing for West Indies for a long time and hopefully (averaging) 50." He's on the right path.

Tabbed as a future star by pundits thanks to his ability to hit every shot in the book, Andrew made his One Day International (ODI) debut in October 2024, becoming the first 17-year-old to represent the men's team in any format since legendary all-rounder Garry Sobers back in 1954.

Farhan Ahmed (England)

Age: 17
Role: Bowler

Prodigious cricketers run in the Ahmed family. Farhan is the younger brother of leg-spinner Rehan, the now-21-year-old who's the youngest male player to be capped in all three formats for England. Farhan, a finger-spinning phenom from Nottingham, dreams of playing alongside his elder sibling, admitting that their different styles were part of a long-term plan tailored to hopefully allow them to suit up together for England. "If we were both finger-spinners, we would find it hard to be in the same team," he explained to the BBC's Andrew Aloia.

Farhan, who was named to England's U19 World Cup team when he was only 15, is the youngest player to appear for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship. Following a T20 Blast hat-trick, Nottinghamshire head coach and former England bench boss Peter Moores said the bowler is capable of doing "exceptional" things because he already exhibits excellent decision-making skills reminiscent of someone who is "26 or 27."

Honorable mentions: Ubaid Shah (Pakistan), Thomas Rew (England), Callum Vidler (Australia), Ali Raza (Pakistan), Ayush Mhatre (India)