Former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid has opened up about the advice he gave to Vaibhav Suryavanshi before leaving Rajasthan Royals (RR) after the disappointing IPL 2025 season.
Rahul Dravid also has a special request for all those coaches who are coaching Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
The young batting sensation has taken the cricket world by storm. At just 14 years old, Vaibhav has already been talked about as one of the brightest future stars of Indian cricket.
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Rahul Dravid reveals his golden advice to 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi
After setting the IPL 2025 stage on fire and impressing in Australia and England, the teenage prodigy is now being considered for a fast-track entry into the India national cricket team.
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However, Dravid feels the youngster should be given more time to sharpen his craft before launching on the big stage. Well, Vaibhav’s breakthrough year has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion in IPL history, and his fearless stroke play has stunned bowlers across continents. From smashing a century in England to dominating attacks in Australia, the left-handed batsman has shown maturity far beyond his age.
Rahul Dravid hails Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s mindset
With the Indian team management keeping a close eye on the RR star’s rapid rise, Rahul Dravid advised him to stay humble, focused, and ready for tougher challenges ahead.
Dravid said on ‘Breakfast with Champions,’ hosted by Gaurav Kapur on Oaktree Sports: “To someone like that, the thing you’re trying to tell him is just explore the edges of your talent. First ball in the IPL, he hit Shardul Thakur for a six. I mean, Shardul Thakur is an international bowler, a terrific bowler.
It’s not the skill. Skill he has. But it’s the mindset. You can’t really teach that mindset. You just have to manage it and own it. You certainly can’t curb it. As a coach, it’s not so much about instructing him but giving him the platform and the freedom to express himself.”
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Rahul Dravid shares bold development plan for Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Meanwhile, the former Rajasthan Royals head coach has chalked out a clear plan for the coaches when it comes to handling India’s young batting prodigy.
While Vaibhav has already amazed fans with his fearless stroke play and maturity beyond his years, Dravid believes that the next step is to push him out of his comfort zone and help him grow into a complete cricketer.
The former Indian head coach wants coaches to challenge Vaibhav in training, exposing him to unfamiliar match scenarios and specific weaknesses that haven’t been tested yet.
He has suggested that the coaches let Vaibhav find his own solutions and develop his unique way of tackling pressure rather than being overcoached.
Dravid signed off by saying, “Creating a certain set of difficulties in the nets, or creating different situations, which then allow him. Or feeding him stuff that he might not be strong at. And then allowing him to discover how he does it and find his own unique way of doing it. That would be a good way to go about it. It’s a process of self-discovery. And don’t get in the process.”
