Barcelona's Spanish forward Lamine Yamal. Photo / AFP
Sport is forever in flux and heroes rise and fall all the time.
A new generation of superstars is on their way up across the sporting world and after 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s astonishing 35-ball hundred in the Indian Premier League, The Telegraph asked: who are the most exciting teenagers in sport?
Move over, Millennials – this is who our writers named...
By Will Macpherson
The Indian prodigy announced his arrival on the global stage on Monday when he smashed a staggering 35-ball century against an international attack in the Indian Premier League, just over a month after his 14th birthday.
It was some statement, but it has been clear for years that Suryavanshi is no normal young cricketer. Aged 12, he became the youngest ever player in the Ranji Trophy, India’s first-class competition. At 13, he scored a 62-ball century for India U19s against Australia, then was picked up for around £100,000 ($225,000) in the IPL auction by Rajasthan Royals.
Not only does he have immense skill, but a cherubic smile and heaps of charisma, hitting his first ball in the IPL for six and peeling off his hundred wearing different-coloured shoes. Remember the name.
By Sam Dean
Yamal does not turn 18 until July but he has already made more than 100 senior appearances for club and country, established himself as a key player for Barcelona and won the European Championship with Spain. His achievements at this age are simply extraordinary.
Barcelona are currently top of La Liga and in the final four of the Champions League. If Yamal helps his team to victory on both fronts, he would have a strong claim to be the best footballer in the world, of any age.
By Charlie Morgan
Injuries encouraged Bath to play Tuipulotu in the back row against Newcastle Falcons at the weekend, but the 19-year-old will stay at hooker on a more permanent basis. He is not likely to do an Alfie Barbeary. And, for that reason, everyone will need to be more patient. Surging through the ranks in the manner of Henry Pollock is simply more difficult as a front-rower, not least when one needs to hone line-out throwing and scrummaging as well as responsibilities around the pitch.
All that said, Tuipulotu is a formidable talent. His offload at the start of England’s loss to Wales in the Under-20 Six Nations at Cardiff Arms Park was jaw-dropping. That would have been a challenging night for Tuipulotu, who was born in Pontypool and was approached by Warren Gatland when the latter was Wales head coach. England U20 went down, but Tuipulotu was immense, carrying relentlessly and showcasing his scavenging skills at the breakdown. With the hulking Thomas du Toit as a mentor, Bath should be an excellent nursery for him and other prodigious youngsters such as Billy Sela.
By Tom Cary
He only passed his driving test in January, but the 18-year-old has made a solid start to his F1 career with Mercedes. Replacing the most successful F1 driver of all time in Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli became the third-youngest driver to start a grand prix in Australia, finishing fourth after having started 16th.
The pint-sized Italian then beat Max Verstappen’s record as F1’s youngest race leader by three days when he led the Chinese Grand Prix at 18 years and 224 days, before becoming the first rookie since Hamilton for McLaren in 2007 to take points in their first three grand prix starts when he finished sixth in Japan.
By Kathryn Batte
Scored a sensational volley on her England debut earlier this month and is making a late case to be included in Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player squad for the Euros. It is hard for young players to break through in the women’s game but Agyemang, who has spent the season on loan at Brighton from Arsenal, has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Lauren James by bucking the trend.
Her goal for the Lionesses was just a glimpse of what she is capable of and coaches at Arsenal have long been excited by her potential. She could be England’s wildcard this summer.
By Simon Briggs
Only two players aged 18 or under can claim a top-100 tennis ranking: Mirra Andreeva on the women’s side and Joao Fonseca on the men’s. Of these, Fonseca is the more exciting, simply because of his nationality. He comes from Brazil – a country that has been starved of champions since Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten more than two decades ago – and is followed by a passionate crowd of fans wherever he goes.
Fonseca’s shot production is a marvel: he appears to have no weaknesses, hitches or quirks in his shots, which is rarer than you might think. He is also a terrific athlete and a charming kid, who seems blissfully unaffected by the hero-worship he is already attracting. If he does not win multiple majors, it will be a surprise.
By Tom Cary
Yorkshire may have another cycling gem on its hands. After Lizzie Deignan and Tom Pidcock’s exploits in recent years, 19-year-old Cat Ferguson, from Skipton, is the latest off the production line. She rose to global attention last September at the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich, claiming two junior titles in the space of 48 hours (individual time trial, followed by the road race win).
The former slalom ski racer, she has now signed for Movistar, finishing on the podium in her debut race at Trofeo Binda in March, before a top-20 finish at the Milano-Sanremo Women.
Telegraph: Three million YouTube subscribers sadly speak to the sport’s popularity.