New Delhi: Vinayak Samant He is among the many whose jaws dropped when they saw teenage prodigy Vibhu Suryavanshi bat for the first time. The former Bihar Ranji coach could not believe what he was seeing.“Vaibhu is phenomenal,” Vinayak Samat tells Times of India.com.
“What I love about him is his laid-back attitude. This guy is just not intimidating. What caught my eye was that he wasn’t playing cross-bat shots at all. That was refreshing to see,” he recalls.Vaibhav’s “bandas” attitude is reflected in his hitting of sixes. recently, Sanju SamsonAt the Naman Awards, the former chatted about the young man’s style. Rajasthan Royals Coach Rahul Dravid.“I mean I was there in a meeting. So Rahul sir invited him into the room. Sir said, ‘Sanju, we have to talk to him. He is a very young child, we have to tell him how to go about it’,” Samson said at the Naman Awards in New Delhi.
Vaibhu Suryavanshi (PTI photo)
“So, Rahul sir asked him, ‘Vaibhu, what’s the plan?’ Vaibhav said, ‘Nothing sir, we will play (Nothing special sir. I’ll just play). Dravid asked, ‘What’s your game plan?’“Vaibhu said, ‘If we meet first, we will give first (if I get the first ball in my zone, I will take the aerial route)’. That’s exactly what he did. He’s playing one of his video games,” Samson added.Vaibhav Suryavanshi burst out on him IPL Scene from last season, 24 sixes in just 122 balls. In seven matches, he scored 252 runs at an insane strike rate of 206.55. Since then, he has been on a roll for India U-19, scoring centuries in England and Australia, including clutch knocks in the semi-finals and final of the U-19 World Cup.
The strategy against this would be to play yorkers on middle and leg, bouncers on off-stump and the silver ball away from it.
Vinayak Samat | Former Bihar coach
Big names have already tagged him a “prodigy,” but second-season blues have targeted many young stars before. Now the real question is, can Vaibhav keep the fire going?“Opponents will work on his weak areas. It won’t be easy for him, but knowing that, he won’t budge,” laughs Sumant.“The strategy against him would be yorkers on middle and leg, bouncers on off-stump and slower pace. Don’t bowl in his arc, or it will go out of the park. His hand-eye coordination is so good, and I’ve never seen anyone pick a length so quickly,” he adds.
Vibhu Suryavanshi (Photo by @BCCI on X)
Last year, Vibhu scored a 35-ball century, which was the second fastest in the IPL after Chris Gayle. Now, he has his sights set on breaking Jamaica’s record of 175, the highest in the league.The fearless style has earned Vaibhav quite the reputation, but Samat feels it will take a few years for him to mature.“He is still a kid, right now he should just enjoy his cricket. He knows how to win matches for the team, but in a year or two he will be more mature. The more first-class cricket he plays, the better cricketer he will become,” he adds.
He is never afraid to play any shot. The margin of error, if you are bowling in front of him, is very small. And he bats in the powerplay.
On Vinayak Asmant Vaibhu Suryavanshi
But Samat says T20 is Vaibhav’s territory and he believes the youngster can break all records.“He’s never afraid to play a shot. The margin for error, if you’re bowling in front of him, is very small. And he bats in the powerplay. He can hit sixes at will,” he says.
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What do you think of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s fearless batting style?
“He has his own way of showing temperament, which I think is very unique. His ability to play on the merits of the ball is second to none. He is a power hitter, but he can also play very well along the ground. He cuts, pulls, drives, sweeps and slog-sweeps. He has got all the shots in his arsenal”.Vibhu Suryavanshi looks young, fearless and ready to torment the bowlers for years. At the age of 15, she is already a role model for many. But from Monday evening, he will enter his second IPL season. This time, he won’t be new. Will the youth step up and silence the naysayers? Only time will tell, but Rajasthan Royals insiders believe he has the license to dominate. Opposing bowlers and coaches may need to fasten their seat belts, because the solar wave is here to stay.
