**Rahul Dravid Heaps Praise on 14-Year-Old Sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi After IPL 2025**
Former India captain Rahul Dravid, who served as the Head Coach of Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025, heaped massive praise on young prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi following his stellar debut season. At just 14 years old, Suryavanshi impressed fans and experts alike with his fearless and aggressive batting performances throughout the tournament.
Dravid emphasized that what stood out the most was not just Suryavanshi’s skill but his exceptional mindset. Speaking on the show *Breakfast with Champions*, Dravid said,
*”It’s not the skill he has right but it’s a mindset and you can’t really teach that mindset, you can’t coach that mindset. So when you have someone with that mindset, you got to manage it and own it. You certainly cannot curb it. As a coach, it’s not so much about instructing him but giving him the platform and the freedom to express himself and creating a certain sense of difficulties in the nets or creating different situations.”*
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s fearless approach was evident as he consistently provided RR explosive starts at the top of the order. Making his debut against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the young left-hander announced his arrival in style by smashing his very first IPL ball for a six off international bowler Shardul Thakur.
Dravid further praised Suryavanshi’s mindset and approach, stating,
*”I think to someone like that, you’re actually trying to tell him to just explore the edges of his talent, right? It’s incredible. But that gift of mindset—the freedom—is special. First ball in the IPL to hit Shardul Thakur for six; I mean, Shardul is an international bowler, a terrific bowler.”*
### Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Impressive IPL Debut
In his debut IPL season, Vaibhav Suryavanshi played seven matches, making a significant impact on the global stage. He amassed 252 runs at an average of 36. While the total runs might not seem massive, it was his aggressive brand of cricket under pressure at such a young age in a high-profile league that truly stood out.
Suryavanshi scored his runs at an extraordinary strike rate of 206.55 and recorded both a century and a half-century during the season. His standout performance came against the Gujarat Titans (GT), where he smashed a blistering 101 off just 38 balls, including seven boundaries and 11 sixes, at a strike rate of 265.78.
Thanks to his explosive innings, Rajasthan Royals successfully chased down a challenging target of 210 runs in just 15.5 overs, further solidifying Suryavanshi’s reputation as a fearless and impactful batsman.
With such a promising start to his career, the cricketing world will undoubtedly keep a close eye on Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s journey ahead.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-you-coach-mindset-rahul-dravid-s-massive-take-u19-prodigy-post-ipl-2025
