Everyone talks about Sachin Tendulkar being the greatest teenage prodigy in cricket. And he is. But surprisingly, Tendulkar isn’t the youngest Test or ODI centurion. Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ashraful and Pakistan’s Mushtaq Mohammad scored a Test hundred at a younger age. Does the cricket world remember them? Short answer, no.
Both played over 50 Test matches. Ashraful didn’t even end up with a 25 average, while Mushtaq fell just short of 40. The point is Tendulkar wasn’t the first prodigy. But he’s just one of a handful who actually succeeded. For every teenage prodigy that shows their might, hundreds fail.
Rahul Dravid takes Vaibhav Suryavanshi under his wing
And one must remember this before comparing Vaibhav Suryavanshi with Tendulkar. Doing so is harmful to the 14-year-old who has become a professional cricketer before becoming an adult. In the current world, which is dominated by social media, staying grounded and level-headed is extremely important.
Luckily, Suryavanshi has one of the most kind, humble, and respected coaches/cricketers by his side. Rahul Dravid, who’s coached the likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Sanju Samson, has taken Suryavanshi under his wing after resuming his role as Rajasthan Royals head coach.
And Dravid knows the challenges of becoming an Indian cricketer. That’s why he told Vaibhav’s father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, that taking care of his son was his responsibility now. He’s part of the Royals family. Dravid assured Sanjeev that Vaibhav will play for Team India in the future, but he’ll need to limit his time spent on his mobile and internet.
“Rahul Sir had said that your work is over now. Now, he is our responsibility. We will take care of him. He has become a part of our family. Just ensure that he stays away from mobile and internet media. We will make him a player who can play for the country,” Sanjeev Suryavanshi told The Dainik Jagran.
Right now, Vaibhav is touring England as part of the India U19 team. He’s under the tutelage of VVS Laxman, a former teammate of Dravid and another well-respected coach.
The post “Ensure he stays away from…” – What Rahul Dravid told Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s father after RR success appeared first on Inside Sport India.