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Former India and Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid feels that 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi needs to explore his talent to prepare for bigger challenges in the future. Suryavanshi burst onto the scene during IPL 2025 and left many amazed with his power hitting. Despite only playing seven matches for RR during the campaign, he finished with an impressive tally of 252 runs. He became the youngest centurion in the history of the competition and maintained an explosive strike-rate of 206.55.
Suryavanshi then went on to score centuries for the India U-19 side against both England and Australia, becoming a key member of the team at such a young age. He was recently also appointed as Bihar's vice-captain in the Ranji Trophy and now will be hoping to impreess in the coveted domestic tournament.
Dravid's advice for Suryavanshi
Though he is an incredibly exciting prospect, there is no doubt that he still has a long way to go before he receives his maiden India cap. Dravid also reminded Suryavanshi to remain grounded and maintain his attacking mindset with the bat. He also remarked that it will be important for the coach to provide the teenage sensation with the freedom to express himself.
“To someone like that, the thing you’re trying to tell him is just explore the edges of your talent. First ball in the IPL, he hit Shardul Thakur for a six. I mean, Shardul Thakur is an international bowler, a terrific bowler. It's not the skill. Skill he has. But it's the mindset. You can't really teach that mindset. You just got to manage it, own it. You certainly can’t curb it. As a coach, it's not so much about instructing him but giving him the platform and the freedom to express himself," Dravid said on Breakfast with Champions.
Dravid also wants the coaches to make it difficult for Suryavanshi during net sessions and push him beyond his comfort zone.
"Creating certain set of difficulties in the nets, or creating different situations, which then allow him. Or feeding him stuff that he might not be strong at. And then allowing him to discover how he does it, finds his own unique way of doing it. That would be a good way to go about it. It's a process of self-discovery. And don’t get in the process," Dravid stated.
Meanwhile, Suryavanshi is currently acting as the vice-captain for Bihar in Ranji Trophy. The team won their opening match against Arunachal Pradesh comprehensively by an innings and 165 runs before drawing their second game against Manipur. They will be locking horns against Meghalaya in the third round that is set to commence from November 1.
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