Does the Vaibhav Suriavanshi hit it like a school child? RR Prodigy's KKR failure shows that it is really 14

Vaibhav Suryavanshi in IPL 2025

34 (20) vs LSG
16 (12) vs RCB
101 (38) vs GT
0 (2) vs MI
4 (2) vs KKR

No criticism for the teenager

The criticism of Suryavanshi has been the same since he hit Shardul Thakur a six to start his IPL career. He just wants to smash every ball to the boundary. That’s fine if you are Sunil Narine, whose wicket has no real value. Or if you are Tim David, Andre Russell or Romario Shepherd, who are finishers.

But Suryavanshi is a proper opener. Priyansh Arya is scoring nearly 2 runs a ball as well, and his average is 35. The issue is that he’s 14. His game hasn’t developed, and the same goes for his body. He’s far away from his peak, physical and mental. The same goes for his technique and temperament.

Every match, he plays these ugly hoicks. His power has saved him a few times. And that’s schoolboy cricket. You can’t just close your eyes and try to thrash every ball from some of the best bowlers. But guess what, he’s a schoolboy. That’s what he’ll do. You can’t expect much from a 14-year-old, especially when he’s playing in the toughest cricket tournament in the world.

He doesn’t deserve any criticism, only praise. That’s tough to expect in the social media we live in. But that’s what he and every other up-and-coming cricketer/sportsperson deserve.