'We might lose Vaibhav Suryavanshi, he's 8th wonder of the world': MSK Prasad's colossal warning

Former Indian chief selector MSK Prasad was completely awestruck with the 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi as he called the Rajasthan Royals sensation an “eighth wonder” of the world while praising his 35-ball maiden IPL century last week.

MSK Prasad called it nothing short of a miracle as a teenager taking on world-class bowlers and rewrote history by hammering the fastest IPL century by an Indian and the second-fastest overall in the tournament. Suryavanshi had played a stunning knock of 101 runs off 38 balls, studded with seven boundaries and 11 sixes, as RR crushed Gujarat Titans by eight wickets in Jaipur.

MSK Prasad calls Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s century the greatest in IPL history

The former Indian cricketer said that watching Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s batting felt like witnessing something out of a dream and a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Prasad said that he doesn’t have the words to explain his feelings, as he was hammering both domestic and international stars around the park.

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He noted that hitting 11 sixes was not a joke, and that too against the world-class bowlers. Reminding his feats of hitting the fastest century by an Indian and the second-fastest century in IPL history, the former Indian wicketkeeper said that Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s ton is the best ever in the history of the tournament.

MSK Prasad was quoted as saying by Revsportz, “My first reaction is, this could be our eighth wonder of the world. It is actually surreal that a 14-year-old kid is hitting the best of the lot in the business. I think there are no words to express this unbelievable feat. I think this is probably the best thing that has ever happened in the history of the IPL.”

MSK Prasad wants Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman to groom Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Meanwhile, MSK Prasad believes that Vaibhav Suryavanshi must be handled with extreme care. He warned the BCCI that if they push Vaibhav too fast, India could lose a once-in-a-generation talent before he even fully blooms. He wants Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman to groom this talent.

He said, “He should be properly groomed through a systematic process. Otherwise, there is every chance that we might lose him over a period of time. He needs to be under his tutelage. He needs to be well-groomed under the mentorship of someone like VVS Laxman or Rahul Dravid.”

Since Vaibhav is still in the very early stages of his journey, Prasad suggested that the left-handed batter needs a strong system to bloom. He advised the BCCI to allow the RR sensation to spend a year or two in domestic cricket, where he will face the ups and downs, learn the grind, and adjust to the rhythm of professional cricket, and that will shape him into a long-term superstar.

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I don’t think Vaibhav Suryavanshi should be hurrying him into the next levels: MSK Prasad

The former Indian chief selector is against the idea of fast-tracking Suryavanshi into India A or senior-level cricket, as he is so young that he has not even seen one season in a year. He wants the BCCI to nurture a future icon of Indian cricket the right way, suggesting he go at least one or two seasons of the grind of Indian domestic cricket and experience those four seasons in a year.

Prasad signed off by saying, “I don’t think we should be hurrying him into the next levels. I think he has to go through the grind of a season. Because he has to go through the four seasons of his life. See, there are no two ways about his talent.

"You know, someone who is getting a century at the age of 14 speaks volumes about his talent. And he also got a 100 against Australia and 57 balls in under-19. That means he has got unbelievable capacity. I have my reservations about rushing him to India A. He should go through the grind of domestic cricket at least for a year or two.”