Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of RR (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav) Chennai: Rajasthan Royals have banked on young talent to succeed – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi tops the list. And one of the behind-the-scenes boys who has helped the franchise shape its youth structure is performance coach Siddhartha Lahiri, who also oversees RR’s academies around the world. Reflecting on Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise, Lahiri told TOI: “He’s definitely of huge calibre, he’s a madman, a 14-year-old with that level of potential. He’s at that stage in his life where he loves breathing cricket and loves batting. From a cricketing point of view, we can only hope that he goes on.”
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Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag watches West Ham vs Man City in London The coach emphasized that the goal of the franchise is to raise not only players, but also quality coaches. Their academies have already produced international names like Ollie Pope, Shoaib Bashir and Phil Salt, while closer to home we focus on developing talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel. The departure of Sanju Samson was a blow for the Royals and Lahiri admitted that the team will feel his absence. “He is one of the best white-ball cricketers and a player of immense calibre. Of course he will be missed. I have had the privilege of seeing him play a wonderful innings for us… People talk about his World Cup success in the last three matches, but we at Royals are used to that. It was a mutual decision to part ways and I wish him well.” Despite a mixed season last year, Lahiri expressed strong confidence in the youngster, backing Parago’s leadership. “He is outstanding. He has led his home team; he plays his cricket in Assam, which means he knows what it means to be an underdog. He is extremely respected at Royals and shares a great rapport with head coach Kumar Sangakkara and the team. I believe Parag has the quality to be an astute leader,” he said. Lahiri also noted that Parag’s progress in the white-ball format has been significant. “Had it not been for the slight shoulder injury, he could have been part of the T20 World Cup squad. He is an incredible player with the white ball and has fitted right in with the fearless brand of cricket that India play,” he added.
