Jaipur (PTI): Rajasthan Royals batting coach Vikram Rathour termed 'wonder kid' Vaibhav Suryavanshi as a special talent who can serve Indian cricket for a long time if he keeps his focus.

Suryavanshi, on Monday, made a record 38-ball-101 to become IPL's youngest centurion at 14 years and 32 days.

The left-handed Suryavanshi smashed 11 sixes and seven fours in his stunning onslaught against an array of international bowlers including Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar and Afghanistan's Rashid Khan and Karim Janat to hand RR eight-wicket win.

"We have been watching it nets for last few months, we knew what he is capable of and what shots he can play but to do it in front of these kind of crowd and in a situation like this against a really good bowling attack, it was really special and lot of credit to him (Suryavanshi)," Rathour said at the post-match press conference.

"He is a special talent and he has got great downswing if go into technique and that helps him generate this kind of power and today he showed everybody how good he is.

"For a 14-year-old kid to play like this definitely makes him special. We saw him first time four months back when he came for the trials and from that day onwards we knew we have found something special and it was on us to nurture him and bring him to this level."

Rathour feels Suryavanshi can serve Indian cricket for long, provided he continues to work hard.

"Lot of credit to him that he kept his nerves. He has a solid head on his shoulders, he showed great temperament today. Even the couple of games earlier also he showed what he is capable of and today was an extra ordinary innings.

"Exceptional knock, spectacular knock. The kind of power he generates, the kind of position he gets into, cleanly hits the ball.

"Everything is special about that kid and if he keeps going and keeps working hard, he is going to have a long, long career in Indian cricket," he said.

Rathour, however, said it would be unfair on Suryavanshi to compare him with someone like Sachin Tendulkar who made his India debut at the age of 16. "It's too early and it's unfair on the kid to be compared to Sachin Tendulkar. He is a special kid and he is a special talent," said the former India coach.

Rathour believes RR still have an outside chance of qualifying for the play-offs if they win their remaining four games.

"Every season is important but it's a long term vision as well. We picked a young team and looking at the way they played today, I think we have a special team.

"We still have four games to go and if we win all four still I am not sure whether we are in a position to qualify but 14 points can get you to the play-offs sometimes. So fingers crossed," he said.

Gujarat Titans batter Sai Sudharsan too was effusive in his praise for Suryavanshi.

"No credit taken away from Vaibhav the way he batted was tremendous and was fantastic to watch but at the same time we could have reacted well. The way they started the powerplay was brilliant but we could have better plans," Sudharsan said.

"When we finished we felt it was par or may be 10 runs above par. But the way they started and batted showed us we were wrong and we could have also maximised a bit more."

 

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Jammu, May 12 (PTI): Security forces are engaging suspected drones observed along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu region on Monday, an Army said.

This fresh incident of drone activity along the borderline comes barely hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first address to the nation following Operation Sindoor and the meeting of the DGMOs of India and Pakistan.

The Army, however, said there is no need to be alarmed.

“A small number of suspected drones have been observed near Samba in J&K. They are being engaged,” it said.

In the backdrop of the situation, several areas witnessed blackouts in Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Jammu.

Lights were switched off at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and along its track as a precautionary measure, sources said.

On Monday, talks between the DGMOs were held during which issues related to the continuing commitment that both sides must not fire a single shot or initiate any aggressive or inimical action against each other were discussed, the Indian Army said.

It was also agreed that both sides would consider immediate measures to ensure troop reduction along the borders and in forward areas, it added.

The situation remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir, with no incidents of ceasefire violation reported along the Indo-Pak border Sunday overnight — marking the first calm night after 18 days of hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people — mostly tourists — dead.

India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding to cease all firing and military actions on land, air, and sea with immediate effect, following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes that brought the two countries to the brink of full-scale war.

Eighteen days of intense hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, ended with a ceasefire that restored calm along the Line of Control, the International Border, and the hinterland in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army thwarted Pakistan’s Hamas-style kamikaze drone attacks during the escalation.

Since the night of April 24, hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani troops repeatedly targeted Indian positions along the LoC — beginning in the Kashmir Valley and quickly expanding to the Jammu region.

The latest hostilities began in the northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, before spreading southwards to Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, and the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district. The firing affected five border districts — Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu.

The recent round of cross-border firing further undermined the ceasefire agreement reached in February 2021, which has largely been seen as ineffective due to Pakistan’s frequent violations along the 740-km-long LoC.

The April 22 terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people — mostly tourists — in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley, triggered a strong response from the central government.

The India-Pakistan border stretches over 3,300 kilometers, divided into three segments: the International Border (IB), spanning about 2,400 km from Gujarat to Akhnoor in Jammu; the 740-km-long Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir; and the 110-km-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), which separates the Siachen Glacier region.