Rajasthan Royals' new head coach Rahul Dravid thinks the team can provide 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi with the best setting possible to hone his skills during his upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) career. The eighth-grader from Samastipur, Bihar, became the youngest player to ever land an IPL contract when he signed a Rs 1.10 crore agreement with the inaugural champions
"I think he's (Suryavanshi) got some really good skills, so we thought it might be a good environment for him to grow in. Vaibhav just came to our trials and we were really happy with what he saw," said Dravid in an IPL video.
In Indian cricket, Suryavanshi's quick ascent has already caused a stir. In a recent Youth Test match for India U-19 versus Australia U-19 in Chennai, the eighth-grade student from Samastipur, Bihar, smashed a 62-ball 104 to become the youngest batter to make an international century. Last Saturday, he made his debut for Bihar in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 13 runs off of six balls.
Suryavanshi is still getting used to playing first-class cricket in spite of these accomplishments. He made his Ranji Trophy debut last season at the age of just 12 years and 284 days, averaging 10 in five games with a high score of 41. His status as an emerging star on the junior circuit has been solidified, though, by his outstanding performance in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, where he amassed almost 400 runs in just five games.
Dravid on their auction strategy
While Suryavanshi's hiring became the talking topic, Dravid also highlighted their team's strategy and plan for the IPL 2025 mega auction.
"A big target for us in this auction really was bowlers. We came into this auction having retained a lot of our core Indian batsmen. We wanted a strong bowling attack, and I think we achieved that," Dravid explained. "With players like Jofra and the unique skills he brings, backed by left-arm options like Farooqi and Maphaka, we've got the versatility we were looking for," he revealed
Rajasthan Royals invested a lot of their purse in making their bowling attack strong. They once again brought in the English star Jofra Archer along with the likes of Akash Madhwal, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ashok Sharma, Maheesh Theekshana and Kwena Maphaka. They also brought some quality all-rounders in Wanindu Hasaranga and Yudhvir Charak.
"There are nine other teams, all well-prepared and planned. You have to think on your feet and have plans A, B, C, and D. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding," he added.
