Vaibhav Suryavanshi will always be asked the 'Rahul Dravid' question: Rajasthan Royals coach denies taking credit

It has been two days since Vaibhav Suryavanshi's 38-ball blitz in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Gujarat Titans. However, the world still cannot stop thinking or talking about the 14-year-old teen sensation. The Rajasthan Royals' southpaw hammered 101 runs with the help of 8 fours and 11 sixes to blow the wind out of Gujarat's sails at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Suryavanshi became the youngest ever to smash a century in the biggest T20 competition in the world.

He also slammed the second-fastest century in the history of the tournament and the fastest by an Indian batter after achieving the feat off just 35 balls. The feat was so remarkable that head coach Rahul Dravid stood up from his wheelchair in a hurry to applaud the achievement. Congratulatory messages came from all corners. Be it Sachin Tendulkar, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Michael Vaughan or Mark Waugh, most of the cricket ecosystem took notice. Suryavanshi's onslaught was such that a batter of Yashasvi Jaiswal's calibre was made to play second-fiddle.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 fixture against Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid revealed how the franchise took conscious steps before the season began to make the youngster feel welcomed and how the support staff has been there for the left-handed batter throughout.

"He has been very welcomed in this environment. One of the things we've tried to do is to just make him feel like he's integrated well into this environment. So, even after the auction, we had quite a few, three or four camps, short-duration camps nearly every month leading into this tournament. Vaibhav was there in every one of those camps, getting to know the players, getting to know the support staff, getting to know the coaches," said Dravid while replying to a Hindustan Times query during Star Sports Press Room with Rajasthan Royals' Head Coach Rahul Dravid.

"By the time he came to the IPL, we wanted him to go and have met nearly each and every one of the players. Of course, not the four foreign players because he was meeting them for the first time. But certainly, all the Indian players he had met, he had known, he had met all the coaches, he had met all the admin support staff, everyone. So, I think around the system, we were very clear that we wanted him to feel comfortable by the time he came here. I'm sure he's having conversations and he's learning from each and every one of those guys, whether it's Jaiswal or whether it's Parag or whether it's Jurel or Sanju. He's a shy boy and obviously, he'll take some time to open up. But I think he's very comfortable here. At no stage, he feels like he's intimidated or he's holding back. So, I think there's been a bit of an effort gone into trying to ensure that we make him feel comfortable around the group," added the Royals' head coach.

Ever since Vaibhav Suryavanshi was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.10 crore at the mega auction, fans and pundits predicted that Rahul Dravid would have a calming influence on the youngster as there is enough proof of the former India captain shaping the careers of youngsters like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and more.

However, Dravid said he cannot take credit for Suryavanshi's success as there is more to what meets the eye. "It would kind of be wrong of me to just take credit for him. The biggest credit goes to him as a young man and as a young kid for doing what he did. He's come through a system, right? He's played in Bihar and his father has been quite influential in supporting him and helping him."

"He has been at the NCA camps. Unfortunately, anytime a kid who does well in this environment will always be asked the Rahul Dravid question, and he has to give a diplomatic answer. But, but I would like to certainly say that we are all happy to be part of his journey, but I recognise that there are so many people who have helped him. This is by no stretch of the imagination, a finished product and there's a long way to go," he added.

The former India No.3 batter was candid enough to admit that no matter how one tries, one cannot control the outside noises and keep Vaibhav Suryavanshi sheltered at all times.

"How do you protect someone like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. I don't think there's any way. I don't think that he's going to be able to completely avoid from experiencing all that's happening around him. A lot that is going to happen around him is probably beyond his or our control, right? I cannot control how much people are going to talk about him or what people are going to say about him, or neither can he control you people in the media. It's just recognising that this is, can happen," said Dravid.

"This is what happens: putting a certain level of support around him, helping him to navigate all this, and still allowing him that space to be a youngster. I think a lot of you in the media can be really responsible about how you write about not only his success, but also his potential failures, right? Let's be realistic in a game of cricket where you feel a lot is going to go through some ups and downs as well. We are all going to have to be mindful of that he's a young man finding his way as well," added the former India head coach.

'Vaibhav not picked just because he is young'

When Vaibhav Suryavanshi was picked in the mega auction, the whole world couldn't stop talking about his age, as he became the youngest to be picked in an auction. However, Dravid said the franchise never looked at his age before picking him, as they were going for sheer talent.

"Vaibhav wasn't just picked because he was young. Vaibhav was picked because we felt with a little bit of work he would actually do well at this level," said Dravid.

Dravid also admitted that it would be hard to shelter the 14-year-old Suryavanshi at all times. Citing this press interaction as an example, the Rajasthan Royals coach stated, "Just from this very interview. I've come to this interview, and every single question I've been asked has been about Vaibhav. It's exactly the thought that is going on at the top of my head. This is going to be challenging for him. I think it's going to be exciting as well as challenging."

"I would love to say that maybe we should not cover him with that much attention and focus. But maybe I'm being naive, and maybe I'm not being realistic because that is going to happen. It's just a question of putting a bit of a support system around him and trying to help him navigate that as best as he possibly can," he added.

'Sanju recovering well'

Rahul Dravid also provided an injury update on Sanju Samson, saying the right-hander is recovering well and the franchise is taking it one day at a time. Samson suffered a side strain while playing against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and has been out of action since then.

The Rajasthan Royals' regular captain will unlikely be available for the contest against Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians on Thursday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

"Sanju is recovering well. We just have to take it day by day. It's the side strain, and sometimes these side strains can be a bit tricky, and we don't want to do anything that will harm him in the long run. We're monitoring it daily and will see how it pulls up. Every day, we get reports saying whether he's available or not. We will take it day by day and see how he goes," said Dravid.