It was 5 AM IST on September 22 when Zubin Bharucha’s phone rang. It was a video call from Vaibhav Suryavanshi, calling from Brisbane after India U19’s first youth one-day match against Australia U19.
“This boy drives me crazy,” Bharucha, the Director of High Performance for Rajasthan Royals, recounted. “I asked him, ‘Vaibhav, it’s pretty early in India, what do you want to show me?’” Bharucha recalled asking the then 14-year-old.
The young teenager turned the camera towards the ground and asked, “Sir, ye light dekha apane? (Can you see this light?)”
A puzzled Bharucha replied, “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).’”
A baffled Bharucha urged Vaibhav to get to the point. “Maine bola haan kya karu abhi (I said yes, what can I do?).” Vaibhav, a bit annoyed, responded, “Nahi sir, main kya samjha raha hoon aapko? Ye chaaron light hai na IPL mey ek khamba mey lagta hai (No sir, what am I even explaining to you? These four are lights, right? In the IPL, they’re installed on a single pole).”
Bharucha, still half-asleep, initially failed to grasp Vaibhav’s concern: “I still didn’t get what he was trying to say.”
This further agitated the teenager, who then blurted out, “Arey sir, ball nahi dikh raha idhar (I can’t see the ball while playing).”
This candid remark left Bharucha smiling, and he gently reminded him, “Vaibhav, sabke liye same hi light hai (Everyone is playing under the same lights).”
Bharucha still isn’t sure if his calming words entirely settled the child prodigy, but if recent scorecards are any indication, they certainly made an impact! Vaibhav has since set the Australian cricket scene ablaze.
Following some quick-fire cameos in the youth ODIs, he smashed a century in youth Tests. This remarkable youngster, who made his first-class debut at 12, secured a million-dollar IPL deal at 13, and then etched his name in history as the youngest player to score a T20 century in men’s cricket, achieving it in just 35 balls.
Earlier this year, he set a new record for the fastest century in youth ODIs against England at Worcester. His growing fan base is evident; during his UK tour, he was stopped for selfies at the airport, and fans flocked to venues seeking his autograph.
While it’s “only” youth international cricket, Vaibhav stands out, being two-and-a-half years younger than most players in either squad. He clearly plays at a level or two above his peers.
Amidst all the rising fame and spotlight, Vikram Rathour, former India batting coach and currently with Rajasthan Royals, firmly believes that Suryavanshi is destined for greatness.
“He’s got a hundred in England, he’s got a hundred in Australia. And you see what he can do in T20 cricket (IPL). Outstanding for a kid so young,” Rathour commented.
“He is a prodigy. But the great thing about him is that he’s not flustered at all. It’s not that he scored his hundred and suddenly becomes a big name in Indian cricket at a young age. Nothing has changed. He’s still so grounded and comfortable with all this suddenly happening around him. That’s a great thing to have,” he added, highlighting Vaibhav’s remarkable composure.
Bharucha echoes Rathour’s sentiment and pushes for even swifter action, urging selectors to “blood” him immediately.
“He should be inducted into the senior team without delay, just like Sachin was all those years ago,” Bharucha insisted.
“They simply must fast-track this talent, because he’s operating in a league of his own. At the very least, send him on an India A tour immediately. I’m convinced that against the current Australian attack facing the India A squad, he would easily score a double hundred,” he asserted.
Bharucha also shared an anecdote from an IPL net session where the young prodigy faced fast bowler Jofra Archer.
“He absolutely smashed Jofra Archer in the nets. When Jofra bowls in the nets, he’s a beast. He never bowls a gentle warm-up ball when a batter is present; he charges in relentlessly. In fact, Jofra Archer once even hit Steve Smith’s head in a practice session before the Ashes, and Smith struggled so much that he never went into the nets when Jofra was bowling again.”
“When he was bowling to Vaibhav, I was genuinely concerned, but this young lad hit a back-foot shot that sailed out of the stadium. All the coaching staff, even Jofra himself, were stunned,” he recalled with amazement.
Both Bharucha and Rathour acknowledge that there are still areas in Vaibhav’s game that require refinement. His fondness for mutton and rice, for instance, is a slight worry for Bharucha. However, his natural batting prowess and incredible ability to hit sixes leave the former Mumbai batter deeply impressed, who firmly believes the boy from Samastipur, Bihar, possesses a world-class talent that far surpasses his tender age.