Vibhu Suryavanshi (BCCI/IPL Photo)
NEW DELHI: From the early 90s till his retirement, fans lined up to watch him. Sachin Tendulkar With the bat in the last decade, Virat Kohli took over the curtain and brought people to the stadium. While the vintage Kohli still grabs the eyeballs, a 15-year-old now seems to have inherited the bat.No wonder IPL fans are clamoring for a glimpse of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Rajasthan Royals‘ Teenage batting wonder, across the stadium. “Bhiya, can I go inside the stadium so I can watch Suryavanshi practice? I just want to see him,” Rajeev Yadav, a cricket fan from Manesar, was heard asking a security guard at the gate of the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday evening. The request was politely declined.In the nets, Suryavanshi took on bowlers and throw-down specialists for nearly 40 minutes. Not even for a moment did he appear to be playing a defensive stroke. For him, it was all about hitting the ball as hard and as long as he could. No wonder, Suryavanshi has scored 440 runs in 11 matches at an average of 40. But it is his strike rate of 236.55, the best among the top 10 run-scorers in this IPL, that has secured the win. He also hit the highest number of 40 sixes.“The key for Vibhu is to enjoy every moment. The worst thing we can do is clutter his mind. We talk to him if he needs it. One thing Vibhu loves is his batting. And the most important thing about him is that I’ve seen him read the game very well. He’s been a smart kid and he’ll understand himself and understand the game.” Sometimes it turns out to be the best thing,” Vaibhav said. Kumar Sangakkara.Sangakkara added that as soon as he starts playing more international cricket, the bowlers will try to plan against him. One thing he should never lose is the enjoyment of batting. He is not a special project for us but a special player,” added Sangakkara.Former England batsman Ian Bell, assistant coach of Delhi Capitals, also feels that the youngster will have to brace himself for tough battles ahead. “The challenge for any young player is you have to keep developing, but he’s a terrific talent,” Bell said.
