Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid has asked for restraint while praising or criticising teenage sensation, Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
Suryavanshi took the IPL by storm as he became the youngest-ever centurion in the league’s history on Monday (April 28) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
The 14-year-old raced to his maiden IPL ton in just 35 balls, paving the way for RR’s eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the chase of 210. The southpaw eventually scored 101 off 38 deliveries before being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna.
Suryavanshi’s whirlwind knock was studded with seven boundaries and 11 sixes as his fireworks left the fans, experts and cricket fraternity in awe.
Speaking at the Star Sports Press Room, Dravid pointed out how criticism cannot be avoided being a public figure in a country like India.
Dravid highlighted that it was not possible in professional cricket to only experience highs, and Vaibhav needed to be prepared for the lows to come in future.
Dravid explained that when the performance would be down, Dravid said that it was not possible in professional cricket to only experience highs, and Vaibhav needed to be prepared for the lows to come in future.
The coach also made it clear that the youngster will be criticized when the performance would be down.
"You cannot entirely avoid criticism or media attention around him. I don’t think you can control everything, and I believe you have to accept that. The idea is to help him navigate it and build a strong support system around him. It's a part of becoming a cricketer in India—you have to handle it. We all recognise that he will have some success and some failure," said Dravid.
Asked if he had seen a talent like Vaibhav Suryavanshi before, Dravid mentioned that he had worked with many exciting talents like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Khaleel Ahmed in his time as the head of the National Cricket Academy and the U19 Indian team.
"I’ve seen talented youngsters in my time—Pant, Shubman, Jaiswal, Nagarkoti, Khaleel. Some journeys go really well; for others, it takes longer," he said.
Dravid stated that what makes Vaibhav special is his ability to judge length very quickly, which then combined with his natural power, helps him tonk the ball a very long way.
"What gives Vaibhav his power is his hand speed, his very high backlift, and how quickly he adjusts to length. You notice with Vaibhav that he picks up anything fractionally short or anything he can pull. He naturally has the power to play those shots. We felt that with a little bit of work, he could do really well in this tournament," he remarked.
The RR coach further said that a lot of effort has been put in making Vaibhav comfortable in the Rajasthan system.
"We had three or four camps over three to four months leading into the tournament. He was getting to know the support staff and the coaches. He met all the Indian players and the backroom staff, and we were very clear that he needed to feel comfortable once the full squad arrived," Dravid said.
"He’s been having good conversations, and I can see he’s built strong connections with Sandeep Sharma and Farooqi. He’s a shy boy, but he’s getting more comfortable here at Rajasthan. There has been a conscious effort to help him settle in," he concluded.
