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Having represented Bihar in Ranji Trophy, India’s premier first-class cricket tournament, Manish Ojha faced every hurdle that an athlete has to overcome to reach the top. 

One of the poorest states in the world’s most populous country, Bihar is better known for producing bureaucrats, doctors and engineers as parents instill in their children the belief that education is the safest path to a better life. 

Ojha was accustomed to seeing parents from more privileged backgrounds bring their children for coaching at his Gen-Next Cricket Academy in Patna, the capital of Bihar.

For the majority of them, kids training at an academy is nothing more than an extracurricular activity. 

Occasionally, Ojha would meet parents who seemed far more serious about their children’s progress as cricketers. 

But it wasn’t until he met Sanjeev Sooryavanshi, the father of IPL sensation Vaibhav who hails from Tajpur, a sleepy, nondescript town in the Samastipur district of Bihar, that Ojha understood what true passion for cricket felt like.

“His father’s only dream was to see Vaibhav play cricket at the highest level. He was obsessed with his son’s cricket. I had never seen such passion for the game from anybody,” Ojha told the Khaleej Times over the phone from Patna. 

The story behind the sixes

Now, fans from all over the world can’t stop admiring Vaibhav Sooryavanshi when they see the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals batter make a mockery of the world’s best bowlers in the IPL.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with Manish Ojha in Patna. 

But behind every big six that the teen prodigy has hit, there is the story of grit and perseverance from the father-son duo that would melt every fan’s heart. 

“They used to travel nearly 100 kilometres by train every alternate day, spending almost three hours commuting and around seven hours training at my academy in Patna. He was just eight when he first came, but the work ethic was already there,” Ojha recalled. 

Facilities were almost non-existent in Samastipur, Vaibhav’s home district. 

“There were no proper grounds, no good coaches, no one to guide him,” Ojha said. “That’s why Vaibhav’s father brought him to my academy in Patna.”

In his teens, Sanjeev was also an aspiring cricketer who never got an opportunity to hone his skills. 

Sanjeev Sooryavanshi

“Vaibhav’s father once cycled 100 kilometres from Samastipur to Patna just to register for a tournament. Even the organisers were surprised by that level of passion,” Ojha said. 

Sanjeev could not become a cricketer because he didn’t get that support from his parents.

Now he has taken the extreme step of selling a farmland to fund his son's cricket aspirations.

"He has put everything at stake for the sake of his son’s cricket career,” Ojha said.

Ready for India

Ojha now feels a sense of pride seeing his ward put the world’s best bowlers to the sword in the IPL. 

“I think he is ready for international cricket. He has smashed every top international bowler that he has faced. He has played them so easily, so it proves that he can play for India now,” he said. 

But the veteran coach sees no change in the youngster despite his newfound stardom in the world’s richest cricket tournament. 

“The only change that I have seen is in his game— his tactical awareness and understanding have improved — but as a person, he remains the same,” he said.

“Even now, when he fails, he is scared of talking to his father. That tells you he is still the same boy I met when he was just eight and a half.”

A big fan of Brian Lara, the young left-handed opener has surprised many pundits with the power of his shots, with some even raising questions over his age.  

Ojha laughed off the debate over the age of his protégé. 

“People should understand that the BCCI conducts medical tests for age verification before every Under-16 or Under-19 tournament,” he said.

“In Vaibhav’s case, his 2019 bone test showed only a three-to-six-month variation from his birth certificate.

“As for his six-hitting — it’s not just about strength. There are stronger players who can’t hit big sixes. It’s about timing, skill and bat speed. 

“Of course, strength is important, but it’s not everything. Otherwise, all WWF wrestlers would be hitting sixes in cricket!”

With 246 runs from just six matches at a staggering strike rate of 236.53, Vaibhav is already among the top scorers of the IPL 2026 season. 

While an astonishing 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans evoked awe last year, this season he has already knocked the stuffing out of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Josh Hazlewood, three of the finest fast bowlers of the modern era. 

Perfect role models

Marquee names like Ravichandran Ashwin have failed to make sense of Vaibhav’s incredible talent and game awareness, but Ojha says the Rajasthan Royals batter takes nothing for granted. 

Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot.

“I saw the talent in him when he first came to my academy. But what was more impressive was his work ethic; he worked so hard on his game,” he said.

“Look, his role models are Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar — Lara for his left-handed batting genius, and Sachin for everything he represents as a cricketer.

“So when you look up to such legends, it means you are focused on your goals. That’s why I believe Vaibhav will always stay grounded — no matter how high he goes in the game.”

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