'He has worked harder than coaches', Vaibhav Suryavanshi's coach reacts to his ward's masterclass

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) After Rajasthan Royals' teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi garnered widespread acclaim for his remarkable performances in the IPL. His coach, Robin Singh, attributed the 14-year-old's success to his dedication and relentless hard work over the years.

Playing just his third IPL match, Suryavanshi shattered a stack of records with an inspired century against Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday. The 14-year-old batter scripted history with a 35-ball century, which is the fastest by an Indian player in the IPL and the second-fastest of all time.

At 14 years and 32 days old, Suryavanshi scored a sensational 101 off just 38 balls against GT to become the youngest player to score a century in the IPL and T20 cricket as a whole.

"Vaibhav was just 8 years old when he came to us. It was me and my fellow coach, Manish Kumar, who began working with him. We put in a lot of hard work - but Vaibhav has worked harder than any of us. A coach doesn’t make a great player; it is the player who makes a coach great. And Vaibhav is one such player," Singh said on Star Sports.

Suryavanshi's coach also praised his father Sanjeev Suryavanshi for his steadfast belief in his son's exceptional talent, which has been instrumental in shaping the young cricketer's journey.

"His father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, was the first person to truly recognise that spark. Four times a week, without fail, he would bring Vaibhav all the way from Samastipur to Patna - just so his son could train. That kind of dedication deserves a salute. Sanjeev was the very first to believe in Vaibhav’s talent," he added.

Almost a fortnight ago, the tennager became the youngest player to make his IPL debut. The 14-year-old announced his arrival with a six off the very first ball he faced against Lucknow Super Giants. The young left-hander scored a brisk 34 off just 20 deliveries, including two boundaries and three towering sixes on his IPL debut.

The coach signed off by sharing an encouraging message for his ward. "This is just the beginning. Keep believing in yourself. Keep playing with fearless intent. And above all, keep moving forward just like you always have," said Singh.

--IANS

bc/ab