<p>Bengaluru: What the Indian Premier League (IPL) has done to the psyche of Indian cricketers, especially the youngsters with dreams in their eyes and courage in their hearts, is eliminate the fear factor. There was a time when young Indian batters, those without much international experience, would dread fronting up to world-class pacers, even in limited-overs cricket.</p>.<p>The difference in speed and bounce from what they would be used to facing on the domestic circuit would often unnerve them. Taking them on, especially from the get-go, was a rare occurrence.</p>.IPL 2025 | How Vaibhav Suryavanshi came into national reckoning.<p>Things though have changed dramatically now with young Indian batters oozing oodles of confidence. Be it the most dreaded bowler in the world or a challenging pitch or a packed stadium, which can be intimidating even for a seasoned professional, young Indians don’t flinch from any challenge.</p>.<p>Monday (April 28) was another example of this newfound confidence. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, just 14 years and 32 days old, produced an exhibition of fearless batting that had the cricketing world in awe. Handed the task of chasing an imposing 210 and up against a high quality Gujarat Titans attack comprising Indian team’s front-line pacer Mohammed Siraj, former mainstay Ishant Sharma, the in-form Prasidh Krishna, Afghan spin wizard Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar, chubby-cheeked Suryavanshi smashed a jaw-dropping, career-defining 101 off 38 balls.</p>.<p>The third ball he faced off Siraj, he struck a massive six down the ground. He then tore into Ishant with utter disdain, carting the tall seamer for three sixes and two boundaries in the fourth over. It was mystifying to see how a 14-year-old, yet to shed his baby fat, could produce such lethal power and beautiful hand-eye coordination. For nearly two hours. It’s one thing to play an attacking shot here and there but to reel off seven fours and 11 sixes off 38 balls he faced, is incredible to say the least.</p>.<p>Suryavanshi, hailing from a cricketing outpost of Samastipur town in Bihar, had given glimpses of his fearless mindset when he carted the first ball he faced of his IPL career for a six in the game against Lucknow Super Giants. Coming on as an Impact Player, he scored a crisp 20-ball 34, winning plaudits for his audaciousness. Even against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, his second game, he hammered a stunned Bhuvneshwar Kumar for two huge sixes.</p>.<p>While kids of his age struggle to even smash first-ball four on their PlayStations, for Suryavanshi, it seems, is a normal thing. “I have played Under-19 for India and also at the domestic level, where I have hit first ball sixes. I was not under pressure to play out the first 10 balls. In my mind I was clear that if the ball comes in my radar, I will hit it,” Suryavanshi, the toast of the cricketing world, told IPLT20 website.</p>.<p>“It was not like I was thinking it's my first game. Yes, there was an international bowler (in front of me) and the stage was big but I was just playing my game. I was preparing for this moment for a long time and I am happy that it worked out the way I wanted.”</p>.<p><span class="bold">Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop, who travels across the world to commentate about the game, credited IPL franchises for providing a platform for talents to Suryavanshi to take wings. “They are allowing young players to come in, most franchises, and be free, be fearless, 'don't worry about your failure', and that's a big shift in Indian cricket, with guys like Yashasvi Jaiswal and others," Bishop said on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out show.</span></p>.<p><span class="bold">“That's a big shift in Indian cricket - let's not look past that. A few generations ago, 'play properly, you get two failures (and) you're gone'. Now it's a different culture. I don't care what GT served up (with the ball) on a platter, the kid is 14 years old! He demolished what was served to him tonight.”</span></p>.<p>While it’s natural to get overawed by Suryavanshi’s innings, one has to take into consideration his tender age. Yes, he has pushed the boundaries to the absolute limit but Indian cricket, despite producing several prodigies, has also witnessed the fall of many following explosive starts. He’s a rare gem and should be moulded with utmost care. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: What the Indian Premier League (IPL) has done to the psyche of Indian cricketers, especially the youngsters with dreams in their eyes and courage in their hearts, is eliminate the fear factor. There was a time when young Indian batters, those without much international experience, would dread fronting up to world-class pacers, even in limited-overs cricket.</p>.<p>The difference in speed and bounce from what they would be used to facing on the domestic circuit would often unnerve them. Taking them on, especially from the get-go, was a rare occurrence.</p>.IPL 2025 | How Vaibhav Suryavanshi came into national reckoning.<p>Things though have changed dramatically now with young Indian batters oozing oodles of confidence. Be it the most dreaded bowler in the world or a challenging pitch or a packed stadium, which can be intimidating even for a seasoned professional, young Indians don’t flinch from any challenge.</p>.<p>Monday (April 28) was another example of this newfound confidence. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, just 14 years and 32 days old, produced an exhibition of fearless batting that had the cricketing world in awe. Handed the task of chasing an imposing 210 and up against a high quality Gujarat Titans attack comprising Indian team’s front-line pacer Mohammed Siraj, former mainstay Ishant Sharma, the in-form Prasidh Krishna, Afghan spin wizard Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar, chubby-cheeked Suryavanshi smashed a jaw-dropping, career-defining 101 off 38 balls.</p>.<p>The third ball he faced off Siraj, he struck a massive six down the ground. He then tore into Ishant with utter disdain, carting the tall seamer for three sixes and two boundaries in the fourth over. It was mystifying to see how a 14-year-old, yet to shed his baby fat, could produce such lethal power and beautiful hand-eye coordination. For nearly two hours. It’s one thing to play an attacking shot here and there but to reel off seven fours and 11 sixes off 38 balls he faced, is incredible to say the least.</p>.<p>Suryavanshi, hailing from a cricketing outpost of Samastipur town in Bihar, had given glimpses of his fearless mindset when he carted the first ball he faced of his IPL career for a six in the game against Lucknow Super Giants. Coming on as an Impact Player, he scored a crisp 20-ball 34, winning plaudits for his audaciousness. Even against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, his second game, he hammered a stunned Bhuvneshwar Kumar for two huge sixes.</p>.<p>While kids of his age struggle to even smash first-ball four on their PlayStations, for Suryavanshi, it seems, is a normal thing. “I have played Under-19 for India and also at the domestic level, where I have hit first ball sixes. I was not under pressure to play out the first 10 balls. In my mind I was clear that if the ball comes in my radar, I will hit it,” Suryavanshi, the toast of the cricketing world, told IPLT20 website.</p>.<p>“It was not like I was thinking it's my first game. Yes, there was an international bowler (in front of me) and the stage was big but I was just playing my game. I was preparing for this moment for a long time and I am happy that it worked out the way I wanted.”</p>.<p><span class="bold">Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop, who travels across the world to commentate about the game, credited IPL franchises for providing a platform for talents to Suryavanshi to take wings. “They are allowing young players to come in, most franchises, and be free, be fearless, 'don't worry about your failure', and that's a big shift in Indian cricket, with guys like Yashasvi Jaiswal and others," Bishop said on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out show.</span></p>.<p><span class="bold">“That's a big shift in Indian cricket - let's not look past that. A few generations ago, 'play properly, you get two failures (and) you're gone'. Now it's a different culture. I don't care what GT served up (with the ball) on a platter, the kid is 14 years old! He demolished what was served to him tonight.”</span></p>.<p>While it’s natural to get overawed by Suryavanshi’s innings, one has to take into consideration his tender age. Yes, he has pushed the boundaries to the absolute limit but Indian cricket, despite producing several prodigies, has also witnessed the fall of many following explosive starts. He’s a rare gem and should be moulded with utmost care. </p>