NEW DELHI: Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has made a bold prediction about young cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying he could become the face of Indian cricket in the future. Known for spotting talent early, Modi recalled being completely stunned the first time he saw the teenager bat during the IPL.Speaking to Michael Vaughan in the The Overlap Cricket podcast, Modi described how unbelievable the experience was.“I can tell you that kid is going to go out there and be the face of Indian cricket in the future. Look at the confidence on the kid’s face,” he said.
“14 years old! My son is 14… I saw this kid hit, [I thought] ‘Not possible, I am dreaming. It’s not possible that this kid is 14. Seriously?’ I am Googling it, I am calling out people, [asking], ‘Is this real or is somebody making this up?’ And I am getting these messages, and I tell them I am watching. Not once, not twice, this guy has outperformed everybody,” Modi said.Vaughan pointed out that handling fame and money at such a young age could be challenging. Modi agreed, admitting the IPL has sometimes led players to become overly materialistic. Still, he stressed its positive impact, saying it has created opportunities and inspiration for many youngsters.“The good thing is we probably have another 50 of them in our country,” he said. “And this is what the IPL has done: it has opened up a whole arena for people to aspire to,” he added.
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