NEW DELHI : Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag said he wants to protect teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from excessive media attention as the 14-year-old prepares for a season under intense scrutiny in the Indian Premier League.
Rajasthan begin their campaign against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati on March 30, with Sooryavanshi set to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal after a stunning breakthrough last season.
Sooryavanshi, who turns 15 next week, announced himself in spectacular fashion after replacing an injured Sanju Samson midway through the previous campaign. He hit the first ball of his IPL career for six against Lucknow Super Giants and later blasted a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans.
The left-hander also starred in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph in Zimbabwe and Namibia earlier this year, smashing 175 off 80 balls in the final against England and finishing the tournament with a record 30 sixes.
With former captain Samson having moved to Chennai Super Kings, Sooryavanshi is expected to retain his place at the top of the order alongside Jaiswal, whom Parag said could shoulder much of the pressure.
“This year, there will be hype and pressure naturally, but as a captain, I will tell him to let Yashasvi Jaiswal take the pressure,” Parag told reporters on Thursday.
“Jaiswal is more than capable of handling that. For Vaibhav, the role will be just to go, hit, and not to worry.”
Sooryavanshi, who scored at a strike rate above 206 last season, recently said he had set his sights on Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 175 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, still the highest individual score in IPL history.
Parag said he would try to limit the youngster’s media duties so he could focus on his cricket.
“As a captain, I will tell him not to do many press conferences, not interact with the media much, just enjoy,” he said.
