Ian Bishop, the seasoned West Indies cricketer, has voiced his opinion on the young talent from Rajasthan Royals, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The 14-year-old lad had been in the news for scoring a whirlwind 100 off 35 balls against the Gujarat Titans on April 28. In doing so, he not only became the youngest ever player to score a century in T20 but also propelled his side to a much-needed win after breaking a five-match losing streak with a nail-biting 8-wicket win. Suryavanshi’s explosive knock turned heads and sent the cricket fraternity abuzz.
However, equally whilst the celebrations go on in his favour, Bishop says the road ahead is going to be treacherous for Vaibhav. When a young player suddenly ends up gathering attention from the whole world, intense scrutiny is surely going to follow. Most newcomers may find such an unbearable and almost unbearable pressure to perform, more so when their past feats put expectations so high. Bishop said that if Suryavanshi disappoints in the upcoming matches and fails to match that sparkling performance, yonder will be some people who will pass comments on him.
Bishop further went down memory lane and reminisced about the ups and downs in the life of his former teammate Brian Lara. Lara concentrated on the cricket and did not let his failures affect him. “I remember playing with him since we were kids around 14 or 15 years old, and he always managed to pick himself up no matter what challenges he faced. That’s a quality to admire,” noted Bishop.
It is also key that Vaibhav has a robust support system around him. Bishop stressed how vital it is for Suryavanshi’s family to stand by him during this whirlwind of a journey. He reflected on how pressure can build from such high expectations, conversely suggesting that keeping the right people close to him could assist him in these next few years.
When Vaibhav entered the IPL circuit during the mega-auction, he was bought for an astounding Rs 1.1 crore. Soon enough, he found himself in the action as a replacement for the injured skipper Sanju Samson. From clobbering Ishant Sharma for 28 runs in one over to sending the first ball he faced from Mohammed Siraj over 90 metres, Suryavanshi’s style of batting—fearless—is a strong indicator of potential, and now one worth watching.
As the Rajasthan Royals prepare for their next outing against the Mumbai Indians, all eyes shall be trained on Suryavanshi, who will surely be in the limelight as fans will be anticipating whether he would be able to deliver continuously on his promise and weather the storm that follows with instant fame. It is a good feeling, yet it is a daunting prospect for a young boy like him. Let us hope he shines!