Vaibhav Suryavanshi is hugely talented – indeed, one of the most gifted youngsters around. And yet, when it comes to temperament, there is much to be desired. What happened today should be a huge learning lesson for him. It was not needed – just not needed.
When you have been dismissed for a false shot, all you need to do is walk off, even more so when your team is in trouble. It is not your day, and that’s how sport is and always will be. You need to take it in your stride and digest it. Sport, as Abhinav Bindra always says, teaches you how to lose. With every loss, you get better and move closer to success.
But to show your foot, then point your finger at the bowler, and then point to your feet was plain ugly. It made you look like a sore loser, and that’s where we need to question temperament.
With the IPL, this is a very particular problem. Young players get name and fame early, and it is hard to deal with. You start to think anything and everything is allowed or passable. It is not. This is a sport: one team will win and one will lose. That’s totally fine. But to cross the line and do what he did looked bad on television.
It is India you are representing, and things are politically charged between the two countries – we know that. We know what happened during the Asia Cup. That’s where restraint is needed, especially in the face of provocation. Pakistan had the ascendancy, and it was natural they would push Vaibhav. Controlling anger is as much a part of sport as hitting a big six.
I hope Vaibhav learns from this mistake and gets better with time. And I hope we, the media included, ensure that we don’t make these young people feel larger than life – for they are not. He is just another talented youngster who has made money thanks to the IPL. Cricket is the sport he plays, and while we celebrate, there has to be restraint.
Some, like Hardik Pandya, have made mistakes in the past, learned from them, and become better. I hope Vaibhav does the same, for staying humble will make him the cricketer he can be. I am sure he idolises Virat Kohli. From showing the middle finger to becoming the cricketer Kohli became should be a lesson for Vaibhav.
Alongside India’s loss, Vaibhav’s gesture will also be the talking point of the day. And yes, he crossed the line. Mistakes happen, and this was a bad one.
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