'Don’t curb his mindset': Rahul Dravid’s to coaches working with teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Rahul Dravid shares his advice for Vaibhav Suryavanshi. (Photo: BCCI)

Former India and Rajasthan Royals coach Rahul​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Dravid had some wise words for the teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He suggested that the young player should not only look at the current scenario but also prepare himself for the harder challenges that lie ahead. The 14-year-old batting sensation has been out of this world in 2025. He grabbed the limelight as the youngest centurion in IPL history while also scoring centuries in England and Australia one after another (Under 19 games).

His aggressive batting style has not only attracted the masses but also gained the attention of cricket legends who have now started comparing Vaibhav Suryavanshi with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Some enthusiasts have even gone to the extent of demanding his selection in the senior Indian team, however, as most experts agree, Suryavanshi is still far away from the level required to represent India.

One among them is Dravid who, before Rajasthan Royals ended their IPL season, urged the young star to keep his feet on the ground and get ready for challenging matches. Dravid indicated that in the upcoming series, as bowlers will be coming up with new plans to get him out, Suryavanshi has to be allowed to develop in his own way and keep up his fearless approach of the game.

Rahul Dravid, while sharing his thoughts on "Breakfast with Champions", which is hosted by Gaurav Kapur on Oaktree Sports, gave some valuable tips to coaches who mentor the young cricketer.

“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 got to manage it, 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," said Dravid.

Dravid also talked about the necessity for coaches to push Suryavanshi hard in practice sessions, thereby not allowing him to be in his comfort zone and at the same time letting him polish his weaker areas. The morale of the story is that this young batter, despite the tremendous performances he has given, still has a lot of cricket to learn and experience at the tender age of 14 years.

"Creating 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, finds 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," reminded Dravid.

By giving this advice, Dravid was advocating the idea of not only developing Suryavanshi’s inborn strength but at the same time taking steps to make him a comprehensive player who can face the challenges of the upper-level cricket with ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌confidence.