A day after Kumar Sangakkara questioned whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has delivered the kind of returns Rajasthan Royals would want, RR batting coach Vikram Rathour pushed back on the criticism. While Sooryavanshi\u2019s early burst in the Indian Premier League has gradually cooled, Rathour argued that the youngster is still giving the franchise exactly what it needs at the top of the order\u2014fast starts\u2014even if the big scores have not yet followed. Since April 25, Sooryavanshi has not reached a fifty, though he has continued to produce a steady stream of contributions in the 30s and 40s. In the match last evening against the Delhi Capitals, he fell four runs short of another half-century, getting out to a slower delivery from Madhav Tiwari.<\/p>\n
Rathour dismissed any idea that Sooryavanshi is losing ground because of pace or variation. Instead, he suggested that bowlers should keep using slower balls against him so the batter can sharpen his response. Rathour noted that the Arun Jaitley Stadium track can offer help to cutters and changes in tempo, which can unsettle batters, but he insisted there is no long-term weakness in Sooryavanshi\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody is perfect. Everyone has a weakness at some point. A slow ball isn\u2019t Vaibhav\u2019s problem. I\u2019ll actually want bowlers to keep trying it against him,\u201d Rathour said after Rajasthan\u2019s five-wicket defeat to Delhi. \u201cOn a wicket like this, where the ball is gripping a bit, a shift in pace is useful against anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also urged patience, pointing out that one innings converting into a bigger score is often the next logical step for batters who are showing the right signs consistently. Rathour added that the coaching staff is encouraged by both Sooryavanshi\u2019s preparation and the manner of his batting.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not only Vaibhav who is special. Enough has already been said about his ability and how good he is. He has given us a strong start\u2014especially when you look at the surface again. I just hope he converts one innings and goes deeper. From how he is batting and how he prepares, I\u2019m confident it won\u2019t be far off. We\u2019ll see one of those knocks where he really converts and plays a big one. For now, we\u2019re pretty happy with the way he\u2019s batting, and we want him to keep doing exactly that,\u201d Rathour said.<\/p>\n
Rathour further reinforced that Sooryavanshi is not expected to mirror anyone else\u2019s batting pattern, even if comparisons are being made. He pointed to the Capitals game as an example of how Sooryavanshi\u2019s approach can still be highly effective. Against Delhi, Sooryavanshi faced only 26 balls and struck at a strike rate above 200.<\/p>\n
Rathour also stressed that each batter has a natural route to runs and should not be forced into someone else\u2019s style. To explain his thinking, he referenced Virat Kohli, arguing that even in T20 cricket, success does not require identical hitting methods.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you back your strengths and play to them, you can score runs. Dhruv [Jurel] doesn\u2019t have to bat like Vaibhav, and Vaibhav shouldn\u2019t try to bat like Dhruv. They each have their own way of finding runs. If they keep believing in their ability and stick to what they do best, it should work out,\u201d Rathour said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve seen that happen. Take someone like Virat\u2014he has remained extremely successful in this format. I wouldn\u2019t call him an outright power-hitter. That shows there\u2019s space for everyone to succeed, as long as they have belief in their own game,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A day after Kumar Sangakkara questioned whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has delivered the kind of returns Rajasthan Royals would want, RR batting coach Vikram Rathour pushed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Form in IPL","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Rajasthan Royals defend Vaibhav Sooryavanshi\u2019s IPL form after Sangakkara\u2019s comments\u2014Rathour backs his fast starts despite fewer big scores.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n