NEW DELHI: Just days after setting the cricket world ablaze with a breathtaking century, 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi is now experiencing a dry patch with the bat. The young sensation from Samastipur, Bihar — who smashed 11 sixes in a whirlwind knock at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur to become an overnight star — has since struggled to replicate that form. After being dismissed for a duck against Mumbai Indians, he managed just 4 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Suryavanshi began promisingly, opening his account with a stylish cover-driven boundary. However, his stay was short-lived. On the very next delivery, Vaibhav Arora bowled a short ball that Suryavanshi attempted to pull, only to miscue it towards mid-wicket. Ajinkya Rahane ran in and took a brilliant catch to send the teenager back to the pavilion.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Notably, Suryavanshi’s stunning century came against a bowling attack comprising veterans like Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, and Karim Janat — making his achievement even more impressive. It was also the second-fastest century in the tournament’s history.
Rajasthan Royals bowling coach Shane Bond recently revealed that the team management is being cautious with the teenage talent.
“The coaching staff haven’t tried to complicate things too much with Vaibhav. He’s sort of got a bit of a license to go out and just play, which he’s done an amazing job so far, really, for a 14-year-old. So look again, he missed out in the last game, but for us, you don’t really want to panic with someone so young, you just come out and plug in tomorrow," Bond said at the pre-match press conference.
“I know Vikram (Rathour) talks about his game plans and the type of bowlers that he’s going to come up against and he’ll do that again for this match, but outside of that, he’s a pretty young kid, so I’m just happy for him to get out there and keep swinging. It’ll be that again," he added.
Bond emphasised the importance of patience when nurturing a player so young.
“He’s (Vaibhav) obviously a seriously talented player, but he’s also still a kid. So, he’s sort of learning on the go, we’re going to be really patient with him because you have to be. And the other part of it is just all the off-field stuff, the travel (and such), you can’t expect a 14-year-old to be a professional. Like I’ve got a 16-year-old son and he’s a teenager, so we’re just trying to educate him on the things around and look after him, shield him a little bit from the social media stuff and all the trappings that come with the way he started, but he’s a lovely kid," Bond said.
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