Have IPL Bowlers Finally Exposed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 'Weakness'? Coach Responds
When asked if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is 'weak' against slower deliveries, Rajasthan Royals batting coach Vikram Rathore gave a blunt reply.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed for 46 runs off 21 balls by Madhav Tiwari's slower delivery
- Rajasthan Royals coach Vikram Rathour defended Sooryavanshi against claims slow balls are his weakness
- Rathour emphasised different players have unique batting styles and should back their own strengths
After yet another blazing start to an innings, Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed to prolong his stay on the pitch. Up against the Delhi Capitals, Sooryavanshi was undone by DC's uncapped all-rounder Madhav Tiwari, whose slower deliveries did the trick against the 15-year-old prodigy, sending him packing for a 21-ball 46. The nature of Sooryavanshi's dismissal sparked a debate on social media, prompting both fans and experts to question if taking the pace off the ball is the key to a bowler's success against the teenage southpaw.
When Rajasthan Royals' batting coach Vikram Rathour was asked the same, he passionately defended Sooryavanshi, saying that on the pitch on offer at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, any batter could've struggled against pace-off deliveries.
"See, nobody is perfect in this world. So, everybody will have some weakness here and there. I don't think slow ball is a weakness with Vaibhav. I will want bowlers to try that. On a wicket like this, where the ball is gripping a bit, change of pace is good against anybody. It's not only Vaibhav. I think he's a special player. I think enough has been said about his ability and how good he is. So, again, he's provided us a really good start, looking at the surface again. So, I just hope he converts one inning and goes deeper," Rathour said in the post-match press conference.
He further said: "The way he's batting, the way he prepares, I'm sure that's not too far off. We'll see one of those innings which he'll really convert and play a big knock. But otherwise, we are pretty happy with the way he's batting and we want him to bat that way. Thank you."
Rathour was also asked if Sooryavanshi should've taken a leaf out of Dhruv Jurel's book when it comes to handling slower deliveries and spending more time on the pitch. However, Rathour said that the two players have different styles of batting and neither should be asked to copy the other.
"Different players will bat differently. Anybody can succeed. You need to identify and know your strengths. If you back your strengths and play to your strengths, you can score runs. Dhruv need not bat like Vaibhav. Vaibhav shouldn't look to bat like Dhruv. They have their own strengths. They have their own ways of scoring runs. If they keep backing that and keep believing in their ability, they can succeed easily," Rathour said.
Ravindra Jadeja Out With A 'Niggle'
The Rajasthan Royals didn't include Ravindra Jadeja in the team for the match against Delhi. Skipper Riyan Parag revealed that the all-rounder missed the game due to 'workload management', but coach Rathour said that he had a 'niggle'.
"He just had some niggle in his knee, I think. They are just trying to manage that. They felt that if we give him one more game break, it will be good for him. That was the reason he was rested today. He is just dealing with some niggle," said the RR batting coach.
With the IPL playoffs race getting more and more intense, the Royals need to win both of their remaining matches in order to remain in the hunt for a top-4 finish.
Rajasthan Royals
Delhi Capitals
Ravindra Jadeja