Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (BCCI/IPL Photo)
NEW DELHI: From the early 90s till the time he retired, fans made a beeline to watch Sachin Tendulkar bat. In the last decade, Virat Kohli took up this mantle and drove people to stadiums. While the vintage Kohli still catches the eye, the 15-year-old seems to have inherited the baton.No wonder IPL fans have been clamoring to catch a glimpse of Rajasthan Royals’ teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the stadiums.“Bhaiyyo, can I go inside the stadium to watch Sooryavanshi practice? I just want to see him,” Rajiv Yadav, a cricket fan from Manesar, was heard asking security guards here at the gate of the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday evening.A request that was politely declined.In the nets, Sooryavanshi took on bowlers and throwdown specialists for about 40 minutes. Not for a moment did he try to play a defensive stroke.For him, it was all about hitting the ball as hard and as long as possible.No wonder Sooryavanshi amassed 440 runs from 11 games at an average of 40. But it is his strike rate of 236.55, the best among the top 10 run-getters this IPL, that has turned heads. He also smashed 40 sixes, the most.“The key for Vaibhav is to enjoy every moment. The worst thing we can do is mess up his mind. We will talk to him if he needs it. One thing Vaibhav loves is his batting. And the most important thing about him is that I have seen that he reads the game very well. He is a smart little kid and he will understand himself and the game. Sometimes he lets Vaibhav understand as a coach. Kumar Sangakkara.“As he starts playing more international cricket, bowlers will try to plan against him. The one thing he should never lose is his joy in batting. He is not a special project for us but a special player,” added Sangakkara.Former England batsman Ian Bell, assistant coach at Delhi Capitals, also feels that the youngster will have to prepare himself for tougher battles ahead. “The challenge for any young player is you have to keep developing, but he’s a scary talent,” Bell said.
Which aspect of Sooryavanshi impresses you the most?
