'At 15, I was still in school': Kieron Pollard makes honest Vaibhav Sooryavanshi admission

NEW DELHI – Mumbai Indians batting mentor Kieron Pollard has urged caution amid the mounting hype surrounding 15-year-old IPL prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, praising the teenager’s fearless approach while warning against the fickle nature of public acclaim.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of his franchise’s next fixture, Pollard recalled his own adolescence to underline how extraordinary Sooryavanshi’s early breakthrough is. “At 15 years, I was still at school, playing club cricket,” the former West Indies all-rounder said. “But, again, it’s exciting. It’s very exciting to see, you know, a young guy taking the world by storm. And he’s using his youthful exuberance to his advantage. And long may that continue for him. And, you know, for Indian cricket as well.”

Pollard, 39, emphasised that the cricketing ecosystem must guard against the temptation to elevate youngsters to cult status overnight only to discard them at the first sign of struggle. “We continue to churn out the talent. And we just need to continue to encourage him. One of the things I always say is Let’s not be on the bandwagon when he’s here. And if you have a couple of failures, and guys sort of figure him out, we then just trim at the wayside. And we forget all about him. I think that’s the biggest fear for me as an individual, being a cricketer. That we all run with the hype.”

The Trinidadian also used the platform to defend the longevity of modern greats such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, arguing that age should not dictate retirement timelines. “Everyone has different motivations in playing for a long period of time… Dhoni is still playing at 44… Fortunately, I’m still playing around the world at 39,” he noted. “Again, what we tend to do as well, these guys have done well for cricket overall, but we tend to just look at the age… I believe we should continue to honour these guys… And let them decide when it’s time.”

Pollard’s message was clear: celebrate emerging stars like Sooryavanshi, but insulate them from the volatility of fame while simultaneously respecting the veterans who continue to anchor the game.