Shikhar Dhawan commended Suryavanshi for his skilful dominance of some of the most well-known bowlers in cricket. The former also gave the IPL credit for providing a stage for young people in the nation to display their skills in front of the world.
India’s rising star, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest batter to score a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year, received some important guidance from former opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan. At the IPL 2025 mega auction, the 13-year-old batter was signed by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 1.10 crore, making him the youngest player to sign with a franchise in the lucrative competition. He celebrated his 14th birthday during the IPL and went on to become an overnight celebrity after hitting a century off just 35 balls against the Gujarat Titans.
“Is he 13 or 14 years old? It is a huge deal to play in the Indian Premier League at the age of 14. It’s amazing how, at such a young age, he was hitting the bowlers and facing the big players of world cricket. It’s incredible to see how confident he is when making the big shots. Our children can now dream of joining a major team at the age of five thanks to the IPL.
That dream came true thanks to Vaibhav. He is present. To him and his family, a hearty congratulations. A moment of great pride for all of us in cricket. It’s unimaginable for a 14-year-old to dominate a major league like that,” Dhawan told Hindustan Times.
Suryavanshi’s struggle, according to Shikhar Dhawan, will be managing the money, fame, and attention.
But with Vikram Rathour as the batting coach and Rahul Dravid as the head coach, the former cricket player said he is in excellent hands at the Royals.
“How he will manage the celebrity, the attention, and the money will be his biggest problem. He was fortunate to be in the capable hands of Rajasthan Royals coaches Rahul Bhai and Vikram Paji. They play cricket really well. They believe in producing decent human beings in addition to good cricket players. Being a decent human being is crucial,” he continued.
It will be crucial how he manages his mental health: In the IPL 2026, Shikhar Dhawan believes that the opposition bowlers will devise more clever strategies to counter Suryavanshi, therefore the youthful player would need to adjust their preparations accordingly. The 39-year-old also emphasised how crucial it is for Suryavanshi to maintain his mental health in order to withstand the demands of the sport and to appropriately manage his own expectations.
“I think he’s going to have a little difficulty in his second year. The bowlers will be aware of his strength. They will have a better strategy to counter him. He must overcome such obstacles and develop,” Shikhar Dhawan stated.
Expectations will increase, therefore how he manages his mental health will be crucial in the future. Self-expectation will also increase. I am interested in watching how he will manage all of that,” he continued.
For the India U-19 team, which is presently participating in a five-match Youth ODI series in England, Suryavanshi has been in outstanding form. After scoring 322 runs in the first four games, average 80.50, and striking at 198.77, the left-handed batter is the series’ top scorer.
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