Teenager Surya dazzles after sunset in the pink City

Late one evening last September, I noticed the scoreboard at the MA Stadium display a century in an ongoing match. Curiosity got the better of me which made find out the details about the match and the century. Apparently a kid, barely into his teens, had scored that hundred in a Under-19 test match. I He scored it off just 58 deliveries and that ensured I remembered the name Suryavanshi. Once the U-19 test series ended, Suryavanshi made the news repeatedly. It was always a case of him being the youngest to do something or the other.

A few months on, Rajasthan Royals surprised one and all by picking him up in the IPL auction. Normally, it takes time for a youngster to gain the approval and the acceptance from the senior level leadership groups. But the Jaipur based franchise has made it a norm to blood in youngsters starting from the first season of the IPL. Frankly, the general impression was Suryavanshi’s pick was an investment for the future. But the think tank of the Rajasthan Royals side had different ideas.

The youngster made his debut on the IPL stage as an impact player a few days ago. He took guard and nonchalantly hit a six off the first ball he faced. That shot conveyed, “Thank you very much Dravid, and you take that Shardul”. It was an impressive debut of sorts, but the kid picked the right occasion to own the IPL stage. Set a target of 210, the Royals needed to pull off a heist last night to keep their chances of qualification alive. They would have hoped that experienced players in their line up would provide the spark for a successful chase.  But it came from a kid who just went berserk smashing the white ball and relished doing so against reputed bowlers. During the innings, he inadvertently mocked the myths about batting that have been passed down for generations.

Yashasvi Jaiswal had the best seat in the house to enjoy the spectacle of Suryavanshi in full flow. He is reputedly a dasher himself, but Suryavanshi was operating at a different level altogether. Suryavanshi ripped all the manuals that dealt with traditional batting approaches to smithereens in Jaipur. The young kid bossed the chase carting the likes of Siraj, Prasidh and Ishant without any inhibitions whatsoever. Bat speed and the ability to hit from awkward body postures that defied biomechanics stood out in that innings. Suryavanshi’s age is of no relevance because he dominated a stage in which several celebrated heroes have felt immense pressure.

Watching Suryavanshi unleash one shot after the other, I chuckled, thinking of all the theories that abound in cricket. Theories like playing according to the field and assessing the risk-rewards did not seem to exist for young Suryavanshi. He has perhaps given us enough to realise that batting is all about what goes on between the ears. Suryavanshi’s belligerent innings should make all the coaches encourage the big hitting instincts of young kids. Of course, the kids of the modern era play aggressively and the likes of Suryavanshi’s provide evidence of it.

The template of batting will keep changing with time and that is the biggest learning to emanate for all from Suryavanshi’s innings last night. He has played an innings to remember for a long time which will perhaps displace the current best innings in the IPL. Suryavanshi will no doubt be the inspiration for his peers and other kids will tend to feel that they can do what he has done. The challenge for him will be to filter the advice that he gets in the future from several quarters. He has to develop the ability of adhere to the things that suit his cricket, especially when form deserts him.

As we marvel at the young man’s individual audacity and belligerence, let’s not forget that he has provided a lifeline to his team. The Royals have been up and down thus far and are in a situation where they can’t make mistakes. Suryavanshi inspired his teammates at an age when he needs to be inspired by them. His teammates need to ramp it up in the remaining games, lest his pyrotechnics will amount to nothing. We will see a lot more of Suryavanshi henceforth and every outing of his will hold intrigue for the discerning fans.

Indian cricket has seen only one other teenage batter make waves in a big stage before Suryavanshi. He went on to become the role model for everyone on and off the field. Not surprisingly, that man Tendulkar was delighted to see Suryavanshi play such a knock and express his views. If Suryavanshi can integrate his pluck and Tendulkar’s devotion to the game, then we are in for a lot of entertainment in the future. It again comes down to what happens between the ears.