- Vaibhav’s stellar IPL performance resulted from six years training.
- He practiced eight hours daily, facing over 600 balls.
- Sooryavanshi’s parents made sacrifices for his intense daily training.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has stunned the cricket world with his explosive batting in the last two editions of the IPL as just 15-years of age, but the hard work behind his success began years ago. The teenager, who recently earned his India call-up for the T20I tour of the United Kingdom, had a dream IPL season where he emerged as the top scorer with 776 runs at a stunning strike rate of 237-plus. However, the powerful hitting and fearless batting that people see today is the result of nearly six years of intense training and discipline.
Vaibhav Practiced For Hours Every Day
According to a report by PTI, Vaibhav’s childhood coach Manish Ojha, who has trained him since the age of eight at his academy in Patna, opened up on the youngster’s journey and the sacrifices made by his family.
Manish Ojha revealed that Vaibhav practised for nearly eight hours every day, facing around 100 overs regularly.
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Talking about the amount of practice Vaibhav did from a very young age, Ojha said:
“See, we don’t count the balls, how many balls he played, but I will give you a minimum estimate, that he played more than 600 balls.”
He further explained how the sessions were planned and added,:
“I’ll tell you how. Around 200-300 balls, I used to give throwdowns all by myself. And when I got tired, there were other support staff, they used to help me.”
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He also mentioned that academy bowlers and bowling machines were used to keep Vaibhav practising for long hours.
“It included deliveries during net sessions, the throw downs and sometimes, he used to face the bowling machine. This practice used to start from 7.30 am, and used to go on till 4 pm,”
Family’s Sacrifice
Ojha also spoke highly about Vaibhav’s parents and their contribution in shaping the youngster’s career.
“See, without the parents’ support, nothing is possible,”
The coach recalled how Vaibhav’s mother, Aarti, would wake up at around 2 am every morning to prepare food for multiple people before Vaibhav and his father travelled from Samastipur to Patna for practice.
He shared, “His mother used to get up at 2 a.m. or 2:30 a.m. in the morning and would prepare lunch.”
Ojha also revealed that Vaibhav’s family would often bring extra food for bowlers and academy kids who needed support.
As mentioned earlier, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned his maiden India call-up. He is a part of the Men in Blue’s T20 team and will be touring Ireland and England under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer.
While it remains to be seen if he featuring in the playing XI, there is much excitement in the build-up to the series due to his involvement.
