In a truly unforgettable early morning moment, 14-year-old Indian U-19 cricket sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi made a video call to Zubin Bharucha, the Rajasthan Royals’ Director of High Performance, at precisely 5 AM IST on September 22nd from Brisbane. This extraordinary interaction quickly turned amusing as Vaibhav tried earnestly to explain his pressing concern about the stadium’s floodlights to a rather sleepy Bharucha.
With his camera pointed towards the ground’s towering floodlights, Vaibhav was eager to demonstrate how they were positioned on four separate poles, a stark contrast to the single-pole setup typically seen in the IPL.
Bharucha, still half-asleep, recounted the conversation: “This boy drives me crazy! I asked him, ‘Vaibhav, it’s pretty early in India, what do you want to show me?’” The dialogue grew more animated as the young cricketer struggled to articulate his point clearly.
Vaibhav persisted, moving his camera to capture the view of the pitch and asking, “Sir, ye light dekha apane? (Can you see this light?)”
A bewildered Bharucha responded, “I have never been to Brisbane in my life, Vaibhav. After a while, I realized, ‘Oh, he’s showing me the bloody light over there in Brisbane!’ And he’s telling me, ‘Sir, look at this light, ek, do, teen, chaar khamba hai (There are four pillars).’”
When Bharucha still couldn’t quite grasp the urgency of the 5 AM wake-up call, Vaibhav finally blurted out in frustration, “Arey sir, ball nahi dikh raha idhar (Sir, I can’t see the ball while playing!).”
This simple, heartfelt explanation immediately clicked for Bharucha. It highlighted the immense dedication and passion of the Bihar-born player, who has been shattering records this year. His intense focus on even the minutest details, like stadium lighting affecting his vision, underscores his commitment.
Vaibhav’s talent isn’t just about quirky calls; his on-field performance speaks volumes. In the three Youth ODIs against Australia U19, he scored impressive knocks of 38, 70, and 16 runs, contributing significantly to India’s clean sweep in Brisbane. Following this, he delivered a sensational 86-ball 113-run century in the first Youth Test, leading India U19 to a commanding victory by an innings and 58 runs.