Parag suggested that Sooryavanshi is likely to bat at the top alongside Indian player Yashasvi Jaiswal when the Indian Premier League kicks off on March 28, underscoring that the 14-year-old requires space and time to develop his skills without external distractions or scrutiny.
“As a captain, my advice to him would be to limit his media engagements and not get caught up in press conferences,” Parag shared with reporters during a pre-season press briefing.
“Let him just enjoy the game, which I urge you (the media) to also respect. Please refrain from contacting his manager or anyone else; just allow him his space. He’s just a 14-15 (14) year-old kid; let him play cricket. He’s performing exceptionally well, and he’s going to make the nation proud.” Parag noted that Sooryavanshi will have the freedom to play aggressively from the outset while his senior partner Jaiswal is capable of managing the pressure.
“Naturally, some pressure will be on him, but I’ll reassure him that any burden he feels, Jaiswal can handle it, as he’s more than capable in that role,” Parag mentioned.
“My sole message for Vaibhav is to go out there and play. If the first ball is there to be hit, then hit it. There’s no problem with that.” “I believe no young player has achieved what he has over the past year. He’s scoring runs everywhere,” Parag added.
Meanwhile, head coach Kumar Sangakkara expressed that he is not overly worried about the Royals lacking any players from the Indian team that triumphed in the T20 World Cup earlier this month.
“It is what it is. India played brilliantly in the World Cup. My focus is more on the players we have rather than those we’re missing. Looking at my squad, we certainly have enough talented Indian players, many of whom have played in both World Cup teams,” he stated.
Sangakkara mentioned that RR has sought to enhance flexibility within the team compared to the last season.
“We needed to strengthen our batting depth, local spin options, all-rounders, and have more choices in our bowling department, which will allow us to adjust the batting lineup,” he explained.
In a pre-season trade, Rajasthan Royals bid farewell to their long-time captain Sanju Samson, who left after an 11-year tenure with the team to join Chennai Super Kings, with Ravindra Jadeja coming in.
“Through the trades we’ve made and some auction acquisitions, we have effectively strengthened the local spin department, allowing us to explore various options for overseas batters and bowlers, thereby increasing our flexibility,” Sangakkara concluded.
(With PTI inputs)
