According to former Indian and Irish cricketer MV Narasimha Rao, the Vaibhav Sooryavanshi craze has spread throughout Europe in anticipation of his potential debut versus Ireland, and fans are vying for tickets even at the last minute.
Rao, like many others, is eager to watch the wonder kid in action as he may make his India debut during the two-match T20I series against Ireland, which starts at Belfast on June 26.
“I think they (local organisers) will have to put more seats because this stadium (Stormont ground) has only 7000 seats or something. Already, people from other parts of Europe like Paris etc want to come, hopefully, we can find a way to accommodate them,” Rao told PTI from Strabane, Ireland.
“So, I think it will be history, a momentous day if he makes his debut in Ireland. It was unexpected, and in the last 10 days, it’s really a big excitement here,” he added.
Sooryavanshi might like batting at Belfast, according to Rao, who played four Test matches for India and then for Ireland in the mid-1990s prior to their ICC membership.
“He’s phenomenal, great to watch and I’d watched him on the television during the IPL. He may enjoy batting as the wickets here are generally slow and Ireland doesn’t have the same kind of fast bowlers, you know, with pace,” he said.
The 15-year-old will face a more difficult task during the five-match Twenty20 International series against England next month, according to Rao.
“But once he goes to England, it’ll be a big test for him because the ball moves there and weather too changes even in the short duration of a T20. But I wish him a good series.”
Rao, who has worked as a coach in Ireland and Hyderabad for a long time, shared his thoughts on Sooryavanshi’s incredible accomplishment thus far.
“He reminds me – from a few of the matches I watched of Gary Sobers – the high backswing and the bat, straight it comes, and he picks up the ball very quickly. He is so versatile and can play every shot in the game at this young age.”
The 71-year-old believed that the left-hander’s greatest obstacle would be to maintain his composure in the face of the continuous barrage of praise.
“He has God-given talent. But my word is that – like Sachin Tendulkar – he should keep his head down and feet on the ground. He should maintain that discipline of fitness and practice hard and adapt to different wickets. It’ll be a big test for him because he is a superstar now,” he said.
Additionally, Rao is excited to meet Tilak Varma, the vice-captain of India, whom he trained at Hyderabad during the batter’s Under-16 days.
Before the second Twenty20 International on June 28, Rao, the first Indian Test cricketer to receive an MBE, will ring the Roy Torrens bell.
“It’s a very big honour and emotional as well. The most important thing is that I played for both the countries (India and Ireland). I will cherish it for the rest of my life, because I coached, and put a lot into Irish cricket over the last three and half decades,” he said.
Rao remembered his early years in Ireland during the conversation.
“Basically, Ireland were short of players those days, and wanted me to play against Northamptonshire in 1995. I was a bit hesitant because I was not regularly practicing and all. But I knew the conditions as I had earlier played for Lancashire.
“So, I played against Northants in the NatWest Bank Trophy (60-over-a-side), and they had a strong side, featuring players like Curtly Ambrose, Allan Lamb, Kevin Curran (father of current England players Sam and Tom Curran), Rob Bailey etc. Ambrose bowled like wind that day (12-5-17-2), and some of our batters said they did not even see the ball.”
But Rao, who led Hyderabad to their only Ranji Trophy after independence in the 1986–87 season, persevered to make an undefeated 47.
“It was a bouncy wicket, and suited the Windies legend perfectly. He started with a bouncer towards my chest and I turned it to mid-wicket for a four. Soon, when I was running, Ambrose came near me and said: ‘you don’t look Irish.”
“I got two wickets but with Russell Warren making an unbeaten hundred, they won the match quite easily (seven wickets). Northants asked me to join them, but I was too old for it, and they later signed Anil Kumble, and soon I turned to coaching.”
A number of young players, including Eoin Morgan, Kevin O’Brien, William Porterfield, Andrew Balbirnie, and others, were coached by Rao during his exciting time in Ireland.
“It was nice to work with those talented cricketers, as I also had experience of coaching players like VVS Laxman and Mithali Raj at my academy, which was the first cricket academy in Hyderabad.
“Laxman came to me when he was around 12 with his uncle Baba Krishna Mohan, and I am very happy to see him developing into a very fine cricketer for India. He still keeps in touch,” he said.
