Vaibhav Suryavanshi's IPL debut sparked excitement, but concerns arose after subsequent low scores. Ex-India head coach Greg Chappell has already warned the BCCI to protect RR young batting sensation from meeting the fate like Kambli and Shaw.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi is already the talk of the town after he delivered a record-breaking performance against Lucknow Super Giants. However, things went into nosedive after he was dismissed for 0 and 4 against Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders.
The 14-year-old’s performance against LSG was nothing short of sensational, announcing his arrival with a fearless and record-breaking knock. Vaibhav is getting the attention he deserves, but there are concerns about hype around him with many feeling that it might distract from focusing on his game, citing the evidence of his performance against MI and KKR. Former India head coach Greg Chappell warned the BCCI to shield Vaibhav from the fate of Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is still at the nascent stage of his professional career, it is essential for him to focus on the game rather than getting consumed by external notice. Here are five things the Bihar cricketer can do in order to avoid being the next Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw.
One of the main reasons behind the downfall of Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw is that they got carried away by early fame and success. Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already earned his fame with just one brilliant and record-breaking knock and Indian cricket enthusiasts are still buzzing about his talent and potential, it is important to avoid getting the hype to his head.
Early success is always good, but relying on just performance to define his success can lead to complacency and stagnation. Just like Vaibhav, Kambli and Shaw labelled as young prodigies, but their inability to stay grounded and keep evolving on and off the field ultimately led to their careers losing the momentum despite immense talent. It is essential for Vaibhav to remain grounded despite success early on in his career.
Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw, despite their early exploits, appeared to lose hunger and adapting, which proved to have damaging effects on their promising careers. Kambli never worked on short-ball weakness, while Shaw did not focus on his fitness despite warnings from the BCCI and Mumbai Cricket.
For Vaibhav Suryavanshi, it is important for him to keep the beginner’s mindset not only because he is at the nascent stage of his career but also encourage him to constantly seek improvement, take valuable feedback and treat every game as a new opportunity. This will help the youngster to stay hungry, become coachable, and constantly refine his game and skills in order to meet the evolving demands of modern-cricket. The best example is Sachin Tendulkar, who constantly learned and tweaked his game despite being the legend of the game.
Once a cricketer gets fame and name after getting breakthrough at any level of competition, it is certain media and public attention will increase manifold, often bringing it a host of distractions, be it social media hype, endorsements, nightlife or unnecessary being on the news for wrong reasons. Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw, at different stages of life and career, were distracted by off-field issues that affected their on-field performance and consistency.
Thus, it is important for Vaibhav Suryavanshi to choose a protected circle, who ensures that his focus is more on the game than getting distracted by fame and name. Former India head coach Gary Chappell warned the BCCI and Rajasthan Royals to protect a young talent Vaibhav from marketing exploitation amid an early rise in his career.
Oftentimes, once a cricketer gets early fame and name, they tend to rely too much on their natural talent rather than looking at ways to adapt and improve their game. The same was the case with Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw, where technical flaws and poor decisions crept in, but never worked on them. For Vaibhav, it is important to go back to the drawing board after every match, evaluate his performance, be it good or bad, and work on the finer aspects of the game.
Every cricketer gets exposed to certain weaknesses in their game and the key lies in acknowledging them early by seeking feedback from teammates, mentors and coaches. The young RR batting sensation must muster the courage to accept his weaknesses and cultivate the habit of self-assessment by reviewing match footage and stay humble enough to make technical and mental adjustments when he is in form.
As a cricketer, it is important to maintain fitness levels as the sport requires explosive power, resilience, power, and endurance across all formats of the game, Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw both struggled with fitness, with the former India left-handed batter lacked athleticism, limiting his fielding and overall mobility, while the latter faced repeated fitness issues, resulting in his extended layoffs. Shaw was excluded from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad due to disciplinary and fitness issues.
For Vaibhav, it is essential to maintain a strict fitness routine in order to sustain in the demanding nature of modern-day cricket. The youngster’s coach Manoj Ojha stated that his protege was instructed to remove his favourite foods like pizza and mutton from his diet in order to prepare for the IPL Since Vaibhav is just 14-year-old, he has been opportunity to build strong fitness foundation early, which will help him step up for long-term success. Developing healthy habits now will prevent him from the pitfalls of poor fitness that have hampered the progress of many cricketers in the past, including Kambli and Shaw.
