Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Can the ‘bindaas’ star avoid second-season blues?

NEW DELHI: Vinayak Samant is among the galore whose jaw dropped erstwhile helium saw the teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi bat for the archetypal time. The erstwhile Bihar Ranji manager couldn’t judge what helium was witnessing.“Vaibhav is extraordinary,” Vinayak Samant tells TimesofIndia.com.

“What I emotion astir him is his bindaas (carefree) attitude. This lad is conscionable not scared. What caught my oculus was him not playing cross-batted shots astatine all. It was refreshing to see,” helium recalls.Vaibhav’s “bindaas” cognition is reflected successful his six-hitting. Recently, Sanju Samson, astatine the Naman Awards, spoke astir the teenager’s attack portion interacting with erstwhile Rajasthan Royals manager Rahul Dravid.

“I meant I was determination successful the meeting. So, Rahul Sir invited him to the room. Sir said, ‘Sanju, we request to speech to him. He’s a precise young kid, we person to archer him however to spell astir it’,” Samson said astatine the Naman Awards successful New Delhi.

“So, Rahul Sir asked him, ‘Vaibhav, what’s the plan?’ Vaibhav said, ‘Kuch nahi Sir, hum to khelenge (There’s thing special, Sir. I’ll conscionable play).’ Dravid asked, ‘What’s your crippled plan?’“Vaibhav said, ‘Agar hume pehle mila to hum pehla hullo uda denge (If I get the archetypal shot successful my zone, I’ll instrumentality the aerial route).’

That’s precisely what helium did. He’s playing a video crippled of his own,” Samson added.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi burst onto the

IPL

country past season, smashing 24 sixes successful conscionable 122 balls. In 7 matches, helium racked up 252 runs astatine a brainsick onslaught complaint of 206.55. Since then, helium has been connected a rotation for India U-19, hammering centuries successful England and Australia, including clutch knocks successful the U-19 World Cup semi-final and final.

The large names person already tagged him a “prodigy”, but second-season blues person deed galore young stars before. The existent question present is, tin Vaibhav support the occurrence going?“Opponents volition enactment connected his weaker zones. It won’t beryllium casual for him, but knowing him, helium won’t flinch,” chuckles Samant.“The strategy against him volition beryllium to vessel yorkers connected mediate and leg, bouncers connected the disconnected stump and slower ones distant from him. Don’t vessel successful his arc, oregon it volition spell retired of the park. His hand-eye coordination is truthful gifted, and I person ne'er seen anyone prime the magnitude truthful early,” helium adds.

Last year, Vaibhav smashed a 35-ball hundred, the second-fastest aft Chris Gayle successful the IPL. Now, helium has acceptable his sights connected breaking the Jamaican’s grounds of 175, the highest successful the league.The fearless attack has brought Vaibhav a batch of fame, but Samant feels it volition instrumentality him a fewer years to mature.“He is simply a kid now. Right now, helium should conscionable bask his cricket. He knows however to triumph matches for the team, but successful a twelvemonth oregon two, helium volition go much mature. The much first-class cricket helium plays, the amended cricketer helium volition become,” helium adds.

But Samant says T20 is Vaibhav’s territory and believes the youngster tin interruption each records.“He is ne'er frightened to play immoderate shot. The borderline of error, if you are bowling to him, is precise small. And helium bats successful the powerplay. He tin deed sixes astatine will,” helium says.

“He has his ain mode of showing temperament, which I find precise unique. His quality to play arsenic per the merit of the shot is 2nd to none. He is simply a power-hitter, but helium tin besides play on the crushed precise well. He cuts, pulls, drives, sweeps and slog-sweeps. He has got each the shots successful his arsenal,” helium adds.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is young, unfazed and looks acceptable to torment bowlers for years. At 15, helium is already a relation exemplary for many. But from Monday evening, helium volition participate his 2nd IPL season. This time, helium won’t beryllium a newcomer. Will the youngster measurement up and soundlessness the naysayers? Only clip volition tell, but those successful the cognize astatine Rajasthan Royals judge helium has the licence to dominate. Opponent bowlers and coaches whitethorn request to fasten their seatbelts, due to the fact that the Sooryavanshi question is present to stay.