Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made a point — let us resolve to leave him alone
Following the rapid rise of 15-year-old cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the author argues for protecting young athletes from media intrusion. The piece emphasizes the need to allow young talents to develop without the pressure of constant public scrutiny.
Why it matters
This reflects the ongoing debate regarding the mental health and privacy of child prodigies in high-pressure professional sports.
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni was starting out as an India player, he had a favour to ask of the media. Please don’t rush to my parents’ house every time I score some runs, he pleaded. It is difficult to say which comes first, the public’s obsessive interest in a player or the media’s creation of that obsession. To remain a public figure and yet retain privacy is a delicate balancing act.
Sachin Tendulkar managed it well. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, younger when making his international debut , should steel himself (as his family must too) for the invasions that will surely follow. Yes, the public has a right to know (the usual argument), and yes the media only give the public what it wants. But at 15, Sooryavanshi is hardly in a position to resist even if he had the tools or knew the tricks.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in