"You can't coach that mindset" - Rahul Dravid's massive take on U19 prodigy post IPL 2025

Former India captain Rahul Dravid has heaped praise on young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi for his performance in IPL 2025. Dravid was the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2025 season, with Suryavanshi a part of the team.

The 14-year-old prodigy impressed with his stellar performances in his debut IPL season. Dravid reckoned that it was the mindset that stood out for him, more than his skill, saying it's a trait that could not be taught or coached.

"It's not the skill the skill he has right but it's a mindset and you can't really teach that mindset you can't coach that mindset so when you have someone with that mindset you got to you know I think manage it and own it you can't certainly not curb it I think as a coach it's not so much about instructing him but giving him the platform and the freedom to express himself and creating a certain sense of difficulties in the nets or creating different situations," he said on 'Breakfast with Champions'.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi showcased a fearless approach in his batting. As an opener, he got RR off to explosive starts throughout IPL 2025. He made his debut against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and made a statement right away, hitting his first ball for a six off Shardul Thakur.

"I think to someone like that, you're actually sort of the thing you're trying to tell him is to just explore the edges of his talent, right? It's incredible. But I think that gift of like mindset, right? that freedom, first ball in the IPL to be able to hit Shardul Thakur for six, I mean, Shardul is an international bowler, he's a terrific bowler," he added.

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Vaibhav Suryavanshi's impressive IPL debut

Vaibhav Suryavanshi played seven games in his debut IPL season. He made the most of these matches and announced himself on the global stage, scoring 252 runs at an average of 36.

While the runs may not seem too many, it was the aggressive brand of cricket he played under pressure at such a young age, and in a massive league, that stood out. He scored these runs with an impressive strike-rate of 206.55, hitting a hundred and a half-century.

His best knock of 101 came against the Gujarat Titans (GT), which he scored off just 38 balls, with seven boundaries and 11 sixes at a strike-rate of 265.78. His knock enabled RR to chase down a huge 210-run target in just 15.5 overs.