Virat Kohli's coach calls Sooryavanshi a special talent, tells him to not change a thing
Renowned coach Rajkumar Sharma hailed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a rare T20 talent, urging him to retain his fearless approach while stressing that comparisons with Virat Kohli are premature and longer-format tests remain
Key Points
- Rajkumar Sharma described Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a special and fearless T20 talent after his record-breaking IPL season with 776 runs.
- Sharma advised the 15-year-old to continue his aggressive batting style, saying there is no need to alter his approach in T20 cricket.
- While praising Sooryavanshi's temperament and potential, Sharma said comparisons with Virat Kohli are unfair and that the youngster must still prove himself in longer formats.
Superstar Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has hailed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as rarest of the rare talent in the T20 format and urged him not to change a thing about his game.
The 15-year-old had a staggering second season in the IPL, ending as the leading run-getter with 776 runs. Calls for a maiden India call-up have grown since his couple of 90s in the play-offs for Rajasthan Royals.
"Well, he is an exceptional talent undoubtedly. I mean, the way he has played in this IPL is remarkable. The way he has hit all the first-class, international and world-class bowlers, that is commendable and I must say that he is a special talent. I really find Vaibhav very good," Sharma said on Wednesday.
"The type of fearless cricket he plays and the way he has hit world-class bowlers is commendable. The way he has hit those sixes is just unbelievable, for T20 cricket, he is just brilliant."
Coach Backs Fearless Approach
When asked what advice would he like to give him as a coach, Sharma said: "Since he is playing T20, I would say don't change anything. Just go and play like this, the way you are playing.
"You are playing tremendous cricket and the way you are hitting, keep on hitting the ball and entertaining the people. When it comes to playing Test cricket, I haven't seen enough of him to judge how mature he is, how he can change his game, how he can leave the ball outside the off stump or how he can play swing bowling. But for now, I want him to continue the way he is playing."
Kohli Comparison Premature, Bigger Tests Await
Asked to draw an analogy between his ward Kohli at 15 and Sooryavanshi, he replied diplomatically: "I don't believe in comparing people. What Virat has done in the last 18 years, I mean it's a very long period that he has been so consistent."
"But looking at Vaibhav, he looks very good, a very talented guy and he has got good temperament also, which he showed in the last game. So, I mean he is a brilliant talent undoubtedly, but we have just seen him playing in this format only. We are yet to see him play in bigger formats, maybe Test cricket or One-Day cricket."
"Virat is a different player (from Sooryavanshi) . He is a legend now. He is a great player, which he has proved by winning so many matches. No Indian has won as many matches for India as Virat has, and that is why he is loved so much. Here we see a rising star (Sooryavanshi) and we really love to see him grow."
On Sooryavanshi's fitness, he added: "No, fitness will come. He is still a baby and he has got superpower. That is the brilliant thing about him."