Rahul Dravid, genius Vaibhav Suriavanshi’yi blinded, “I can not prevent criticism,” he says

Last two-three in the world of cricket have only been about teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi, after he struck a blistering 35-ball ton for RR in IPL 2025. And why not.. even head coach Rahul Dravid couldn’t contain his emotions, and shouted in celebration as the kid brought up his milestone.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, An Overnight Sensation

But then, as has the been the worry of many, Dravid feels that the praises, or even criticism should not go overboard for Suryanshi, who is only 14 still. Speaking at the Star Sports Press Room, Dravid made it clear, that Suryavanshi should be prepared for downfalls in the future.

“You cannot entirely avoid criticism or media attention around him. I don’t think you can control everything, and I believe you have to accept that. The idea is to help him navigate it and build a strong support system around him. It’s a part of becoming a cricketer in India—you have to handle it. We all recognise that he will have some success and some failure,” said Dravid on Star Sports Press Room.

But Be Prepared, Says RR Coach Rahul Dravid

Is Suryavanshi the best, at this age, or were there any good players earlier, in this age as well? Dravid clarified, that the likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Khaleel Ahmed were equally good. “I’ve seen talented youngsters in my time—Pant, Shubman, Jaiswal, Nagarkoti, Khaleel. Some journeys go really well; for others, it takes longer,” Dravid said.

Meanwhile, the coach also stressed on the fact, as to what makes Suryavanshi such a clean hitter of the ball, that too at such a young age. “What gives Vaibhav his power is his hand speed, his very high backlift, and how quickly he adjusts to length. You notice with Vaibhav that he picks up anything fractionally short or anything he can pull. He naturally has the power to play those shots. We felt that with a little bit of work, he could do really well in this tournament,” Dravid added.