Watching the 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi smash a record-breaking century on Monday had the Chennai Super Kings’ batting coach Michael Hussey excited.
“Him (Suryavanshi) and (Yashasvi) Jaiswal batting together. It’s just breathtaking batting. I mean, it’s fearless. It’s reckless at times, but it’s so exciting to watch,” Hussey said on Tuesday on the eve of his side’s game against Punjab Kings at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
The innings also reminded Hussey of how the whole Australian team would be eager to watch Adam Gilchrist bat.
“We felt this in Australia when Adam Gilchrist walked out to bat, the whole team would come into the viewing area, sit there and watch the game, because they’re just so exciting. I felt the same watching this young kid last night.”
The Super Kings, albeit late in the season, have also handed opportunities to a few youngsters, and the results have been encouraging over the last two games. Ayush Mhatre (17), Shaikh Rasheed (20), and Dewald Brevis (22) all featured in CSK’s most recent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Although Rasheed got a golden duck, the other contributed quickfire cameos which Hussey found more ‘attractive’ to watch.
“It definitely looked better than some of the previous games where we looked like we were playing with a little bit of fear. Trying not to make a mistake, which is not the way we wanna play – it’s not gonna be successful in this competition,” Hussey said.
The Australian legend acknowledged the role youth academies play in not only talent identification but also in helping the management understand if the player is ready to play at a higher level.
“Shaikh Rasheed’s a good example. We’ve had him with us now for at least a couple of seasons and he’s a beautiful player. But we need to find out how he can go under pressure. He’s got his opportunity now and you know he’s handling it well at the moment,” Hussey said.
“As a coaching group, maybe this is where we can look to improve in coming seasons. Put these young guys in better training positions. Playing more practice games, seeing what they’re like when they’re really under pressure.
In the nets, there’s no consequence, you can just play your shots, you get out, it doesn’t matter. But if you’re in a match situation, there’s a bit more consequence involved, so maybe that’s something we’ll look at more in the future,” Hussey explained.
