'No one should be in any rush..': Dravid's words of caution for centurion Vaibhav Suryavanshi as IPL fame escalates

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Pic: IPL/X)

Rajasthan Royals' head coach Rahul Dravid lauded the fearless approach of IPL's teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but also cautioned him about the challenges that come with life in the spotlight.

The 14-year-old left-handed opener has taken the cricket world by storm, especially after his record-breaking 35-ball century in Rajasthan's recent win over Gujarat Titans on Monday. With a blistering knock of 101 off 38 balls, which included 11 towering sixes, Suryavanshi stunned fans and experts alike. His remarkable innings came against a bowling attack that featured India's top-tier pacers Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, and spinner Washington Sundar in Jaipur.

Dravid praised "the ability of him to have that level of fearlessness and not get phased by the occasion or what was happening around him", he told reporters. "You don't really get to see that with people who are so young," he added, noting the "range of shots as well that he showed".

Dravid, speaking at a news conference organised by Star Sports, said there was still a long road ahead for the boy. "Nobody is saying he's a finished article," he said. "No one should be in any rush to proclaim him as something that he's not. He's an exceptionally talented young player. He's working really hard, but he's going to have to keep improving."

Suryavanshi, who made headlines when bought by Rajasthan for 130,500 dollars after a bidding war at the November auction when aged 13, announced himself on his debut this month by launching his first ball in the IPL for six. Nine days later, in only his third IPL match, Suryavanshi scored the second-fastest century in competition history, second only to Chris Gayle's 30-ball ton in 2013. The boy wonder became an overnight hero and ex-India opener Kris Srikkanth dubbed him 'Indian cricket's next superstar'.

"I think it's going to be exciting, as well as it's going to be challenging," Dravid added, speaking about Suryavanshi. "And I think, I would love to say that maybe we should not shower him with that much attention and that much focus."

Suryavanshi, who can also bowl spin, comes from India's poorest state, Bihar. "Maybe it's just a question of putting a bit of a support system around him, and trying to help him navigate that, as best as he possibly can," Dravid said. IPL has been a breeding ground for up and coming talent with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah making a name for themselves through the league.

But never has a 14-year-old garnered so much attention. Dravid, who has coached India A and under-19 teams, said Suryavanshi's ability to pick the length of the ball early makes him stand out. "He's got a really good bat speed and obviously got a really high back lift, that's pretty obvious," Dravid said. "He seems to have a natural strength, which is really helpful in these situations."

(With AFP inputs)