Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: RR's 'freak' who only understands batting

Chennai: Rajasthan Royals have banked on young talent for success — Vaibhav Sooryavanshi being at the top of the list. And one of the backroom boys who has helped the franchise shape its youth structure is performance coach Siddhartha Lahiri, who oversees the RR academies across the globe as well. Reflecting on Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise, Lahiri told TOI: “He’s got immense calibre for sure, he’s a freak, a 14-year-old with that level of potential. He’s in that phase of his life where he loves to breathe cricket and he loves to bat. From a cricketing perspective, we can only hope he goes on to do things that feel unreal to watch.”

The coach emphasised that the franchise aims to nurture not just players but quality coaches as well. Their academies have already produced international names such as Ollie Pope, Shoaib Bashir and Phil Salt, while closer to home, the focus remains on developing talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel.

The departure of

Sanju Samson

was a blow to the Royals, and Lahiri admitted the team would feel his absence. “He is one of the best white-ball cricketers and a player of immense calibre. Of course, he’ll be missed. I’ve been privileged to see him play some amazing innings for us... People are talking about his World Cup success in the last three games, but we in Royals were used to it. It was a mutual decision to part ways, and I wish him every success.”

Backing Parag’s leadership credentials, despite a mixed season last year, Lahiri expressed strong confidence in the youngster. “He is outstanding. He has led his domestic side; he plays his cricket in Assam, which means he knows what it means to be an underdog. He is extremely well-respected within the Royals and shares a great rapport with head coach

Kumar Sangakkara

and the team. I believe Parag has the quality to become an astute leader,” he said. Lahiri also noted that Parag’s progress in the white-ball format has been significant. “If not for a minor shoulder injury, he could well have been part of the T20 World Cup squad. He is an unbelievable white-ball player, and with the fearless brand of cricket India is playing, he fits right in,” he added.