29-04-2025
IPL 2025: UAE can produce players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, says Dubai coach
In the blink of an eye, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Rajasthan Royals' 14-year-old opening batter, became a global cricket sensation.
Turning a tricky 210-run chase against the formidable Gujarat Titans into a cakewalk for the Royals, Suryavanshi galloped into a cricketing paradise.
A fearless approach, stunning bat speed and an incredible ability to hit the ball hard left the experienced Gujarat bowlers scratching their heads as Suryavanshi wrote his name in the history books as the youngest IPL centurion with a 38-ball 101.
The prodigious talent from Bihar is the latest discovery of the IPL, a league that has also unearthed Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakaravarthy and Rinku Singh.
Strong system
So as the cricket legends made a beeline to shower the Bihar teenager with praise, the question that has crossed the minds of every cricket fan is — how does the IPL keep producing such talents in India?
The answer lies in the scouting system the world's richest cricket league has adopted. Every franchise sends scouts to every part of India to look for new talent.
In the cricket-obsessed country, Suryavanshi has proven that even a relatively poor state like Bihar can produce outstanding players.
Now spurred on by Suryavanshi's meteoric rise, Gopal Jasapara, a Dubai-based cricket coach, says youngsters in the UAE also have what it takes to showcase their talent on the IPL stage.
Power-hitting
The most remarkable feature of Suryavanshi's record-breaking hundred on Monday was his big-hitting prowess — the youngster hit 11 massive sixes in Jaipur.
Jasapara was not surprised by the baby-faced batter's ability to clear the ropes repeatedly.
'Where does the power come from? It's the timing and practice,' the G Force Academy head coach said.
One of Jasapara's own students, Jaimeek Shah, hit 26 sixes in a club-level match when he was only 12.
Jaimeek, who turned 14 on April 24, shares his birthday with Sachin Tendulkar. The talented left-hander is now playing for the UAE team at the Under 16 West Zone Asian Championship in Qatar.
'This boy is very talented. He was only 12 when he hit 26 sixes in a match against Desert Cubs. And mind you, it was a proper cricket ground, not a small one,' Jasapara said.
'Everyone was surprised when Jaimeek hit 26 sixes. But age doesn't matter when you have the talent and if you work hard on your stroke-play. He has kept hitting sixes in every match. And he has scored more than 20 centuries in age-group cricket in the last two years.'
Come to the UAE
Having watched Suryavanshi's magnificent knock on Monday, Jasapara invited Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians scouts to the UAE.
'Everybody has seen Vaibhav now, but we also have got good young boys like Jaimeek who can bat like Vaibhav. That's why I got in touch with scouts from Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians.
'I know how they go to different parts of India to hunt for new talent. Maybe, next time they can visit Dubai as well. You never know what they might discover here. Some of our boys can be the future stars of cricket.'
It was not long ago that Aayan Afzal Khan, the 19-year-old UAE spinner, delivered a match-winning three-wicket spell (4-0-20-3) against New Zealand, a Test-playing country, in a T20 International.
And Karthik Meiyappan, another UAE youngster, grabbed headlines at the 2022 T20 World Cup with a hat trick against Sri Lanka — with all of his three wickets coming against proper batsmen.
'Of course, we cannot compare our cricket system to India's. But as I said, we do have some very good young players,' Jasapara said.
'They are not at Vaibhav's level yet, but they have great potential. All they need is support and exposure.'
