Talent needs temperament: A valuable lesson Vaibhav Suryavanshi has learnt in Asia Cup final

Indian teenage prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi is already shouldering the expectations of a billion fans worldwide, with each of his moves under intense scrutiny. Not since legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar made his international debut has a teenager received such attention. 

When Suryavanshi walked back after being dismissed in the Under-19 Asia Cup final against Pakistan, the focus was not on his dismissal but on his reaction and the fragility displayed by him.

India were chasing a mammoth target, and a good start was paramount. The left-handed opener didn’t disappoint and raced to 24 off just nine deliveries. But he edged pacer Ali Raza to the wicketkeeper, which left the Indian team in deep trouble at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai.

After beginning to walk back, the teenager turned around to exchange a few words and finger-gesturing towards his foot. That reaction has been criticised by one and all, while the one argument in his support is that he was provoked. Suryavanshi, even if provoked, needs to learn to mature in handling such situations. He can’t hide behind his young age.

In his debut Test series in Pakistan and at 16, with Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, and Imran Khan steaming in, Tendulkar was hit on the nose by a rising bouncer from Waqar. The legendary batter responded differently by continuing to bat and save the Test for India. He always believed in replying with the bat.

In the 1992 Sydney Test, the same Test in which Shane Warne made his debut, Ravi Shastri and Tendulkar were subjected to plenty of sledging, but they scored the runs to silence their rivals.

The current crop believes in aggression and showing their response verbally. Virat Kohli is known to wear his heart on his sleeve, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, after clobbering Mitchell Starc for a boundary, told the Australian pacer that he is bowling too slow. This banter makes the game entertaining, but there should be a line drawn.

Suryavanshi would do well to take a leaf out of Tendulkar and Captain Cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s books. When there is a tussle between the bat and the ball, the result could go either way. It would have done a world of good for Suryavanshi to bottle up those emotions and get ready to repay his opponents when they meet again.

He needs to learn to develop these positive attitudes from the past champions and not get muddled in such actions. Players need to understand the scenario and act more professionally. Since the Asia Cup, following the Operation Sindoor, there have been strong undercurrents between the two sides, who have decided not to even shake hands.

Under such situations, these young turks need to carry India’s fortunes in the future and should be able to keep a cool head to win the matches and not these arguments. The Indian team management would have dealt with the issues promptly and ensured that such prodigious talent would not go astray. 

In the past, Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw were not able to measure up to their potential and have lost their way. So the coaches and the board need to educate these youngsters to handle such scenarios better in the future.

Former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed too had warned his players not to be uncivil and follow the right protocol. Cricket is a gentleman’s game, and despite the battles with the bat and ball, one needs to stay
within the parameters.