The 14-year-old Indian cricketing prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi has taken the world by storm as he enjoyed a terrific 2025, where the teenager from Bihar made his Indian Premier League debut, hit the second-fastest century in the league, became the youngest centurion, impressed in Australia, England away tours, was fast-tracked to the India A side for the South Africa series and was appointed the vice-captain of his state for the Ranji Trophy.
Former India and Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid said he doesn’t have much to say to Vaibhav and wants the young prodigy to be himself.
“To someone like that, you are actually, the thing you’re trying to tell him is to just explore the edges of your talent. It is incredible. But I think the gift of mindset, that freedom…first ball in the IPL, to be able to hit Shardul Thakur for a six. I mean, Shardul Thakur is an international bowler, a terrific bowler,” Dravid said on the ‘Breakfast with Champions’ show hosted by Gaurav Kapur.
Dravid said the mindset with which Vaibhav operates should not be coached, but one has to own the special talent he is.
“It’s not the skill. Skill he has. But it’s the mindset. You can’t really teach that mindset. You can’t coach someone with that mindset. You just got to manage it, own it. You certainly can’t curb it. As a coach, it’s not so much about instructing him but giving him the platform and the freedom to express himself,” Dravid said on Vaibhav.
“Creating certain set of difficulties in the nets, or creating different situations, which then allow him. Or feeding him stuff that he might not be strong at. And then allowing him to discover how he does it, finds his own unique way of doing it. That would be a good way to go about it. It’s a process of self-discovery. And don’t get in the process,” he added.
