TimesofIndia.com in Dharamsala: MS Dhoni played hide-and-seek with the fans in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). He didn’t play a single game. Virat Kohli stamped his class yet again. Rohit Sharma, throughout the season, struggled with his fitness and looked like a pale shadow of himself.As the sun starts to set on the careers of the IPL’s biggest crowd-pullers, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a prodigy from the hinterlands of Bihar, has taken the baton. Sooryavanshi has not only lit up the season with his jaw-dropping strokeplay but is also emerging as someone who brings the fans to the stadiums. Former India spinner R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel that he watches Rajasthan Royals matches with his parents, a story that mirrors every Indian household these days. They stay glued to the screen whenever the teenager walks out to bat.IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, too, is a fan of the teenage sensation.“Vaibhav embodies IPL’s tagline which is, ‘where talent meets opportunity.’ That boy is something else, isn’t he?” says Dhumal in a free-wheeling chat with TimesofIndia.com.“Talent had always been there, but how do they get the opportunity? That opportunity, that platform, has been granted by the IPL.”
I think it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any scouting or selection team to pick up such amazing talent. Hats off to the guy who spotted him
Arun Dhumal on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
In 14 games this IPL season, Sooryavanshi has amassed 583 runs at a blistering strike rate of 232.27. He has hit more sixes (53) than fours (50).Dhumal credits Rajasthan Royals’ scouting team for unearthing such a gem.“I think it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any scouting or selection team to pick up such amazing talent at such a young age. Definitely, hats off to the guy who spotted him,” he says.“And the way the boy has matured and performed at this young age is phenomenal. Not only in the IPL, if you look at the U-19 World Cup final, he scored 175 in 80 balls and the team went on to score 411 runs. That is unheard of in U-19 cricket, that too in a World Cup final.“That augurs very well for Indian cricket per se. And that is the beauty of the IPL. It has been transformative for so many young talents during the past 18-19 years. It has transformed their lives,” he adds.
File photo of Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Dhumal admits that Sooryavanshi’s rise will add extra responsibility on the BCCI and Rajasthan Royals to handhold him, especially when he goes through a tough phase.“Like any great player, he will also go through ups and downs. That is the uniqueness of sport. He will fail. He will go down. But this is what sport trains you for. You get up and give a better performance in the next game. That is very integral to preparing you for life. Life will never be a one-way street where you only rise.“I am sure the boy, given his performances throughout this season and as part of the U-19 team, would have seen many failures. But in the next game, he would have tried to perform even better and help his team win,” says Dhumal. The veteran administrator adds that the youngster would need a lot of support to maintain the right mental space for the challenges that come his way.“I feel the BCCI and the franchise would need to handhold him in terms of showing him the right way so that his temperament stays intact. Because sport is not only about physical skill, it is also about mental toughness.
What is the most thrilling aspect of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s performance?
“And definitely, we will do our bit to make sure that the kind of skill set he has allows him to perform for India for many, many years to come,” adds Dhumal.
